Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Site testing'

The commercial peanut dryers used today were first conceived when energy was relatively inexpensive. Since then, energy costs have increased significantly, and more efficient peanuts dryers are desirable. To evaluate dryer efficiency, a mobile fan test facility was designed, built and calibrated for on-site fan airflow and energy measurements. Four-, six-, and eight-trailer peanut dryers were tested for performance. The characteristics observed were delivery of fan airflow as compared to manufacturers' ratings, air distribution to each of the trailer supply ports, plenum leaks, and energy savings achieved by the use of flow controls. For testing, air to the dryer fan was provided by a centrifugal supply fan, where the flowrate was determined by measuring the pressure drop across calibrated perforated plate positioned between the two fans. Airflow through each of the trailer supply ports was determined in a similar manner by measuring the pressure drop across calibrated resistance plates. Measured airflow to the trailers from dryer fans was found to be 75 to 100% of the airflow given by the manufacturers' ratings. Air distribution was poor in dryers with no baffle. However, the installation of a baffle resulted in significant improvement in air distribution. The baffle a pressure rise which reduced total airflow up to 5%. Based on a recommended airflow of 0.167 m³/s per m³ of peanuts, fan inlets were restricted to reduce airflow, and energy savings as high as 35% were achieved. Repairs on poorly maintained dryers increased flowrate from 3 to 7%.

Master of Science

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1993 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Rapid setup and verification of 4 automatic tracking antennas, 2 radio frequency switch matrixes, 32 telemetry receivers with 16 diversity combiners, an intermediate frequency switch matrix and the signal distribution equipment interface to the analog and digital fiber optic relay systems was required. This paper provides sample displays of the station status window, telemetry receiver and test parameter dialog boxes, mission event log window and test result windows for bit error rate, noise power ratio, solar calibration and antenna servo tests. Use of the software is apparent from sample displays so the text concentrates on lessons learned from site surveys, verification of configuration against mission files, accommodation of change of plug-in modules (e.g., IF filters in the telemetry receiver), tolerance of equipment removed from the system for maintenance, built-in test of serial and parallel communications and modular software design for replacement of equipment.

Unmanned vehicle systems are becoming more important in the future of the military and in commercial applications. These systems are used to prevent humans from entering dangerous situations or to automate dull tasks. In order to facilitate rapid development of these systems, testing procedures and infrastructure need to be created. Once developed, the performance characteristics of unmanned vehicle systems can be determined and compared to similar systems. This information will be beneficial to system developers and potential customers. In order to provide the infrastructure and test procedures to the unmanned systems community, the Joint Robotics Program created the National Unmanned Systems Experimentation Environment (NUSE2). NUSE2 consists of a variety of military organizations and academic resources, including the Joint Unmanned Systems Test Experimentation and Research (JOUSTER) site at Virginia Tech. JOUSTER was tasked specifically with creating a mobile instrumentation platform capable of providing wireless communications, data collection, and video coverage of a testing site. This thesis presents the system designed and created to meet this need. For the first time, a mobile instrumentation platform has been created to specifically support unmanned systems research. Additionally, the performance characteristics of this system have been fully evaluated and will serve as a benchmark for future improvements to the system.
Master of Science

The quality of astronomical sites is the first step to be considered to have the best performances from the telescopes. In particular, the efficiency of large telescopes in UV, IR, radio etc. is critically dependent on atmospheric transparency. It is well known that the random optical effects induced on the light propagation by turbulent atmosphere also limit telescope’s performances. Nowadays, clear appears the importance to correlate the main atmospheric physical parameters with the optical quality reachable by large aperture telescopes. The sky quality evaluation improved with the introduction of new techniques, new instrumentations and with the understanding of the link between the meteorological (or synoptical parameters and the observational conditions thanks to the application of the theories of electromagnetic waves propagation in turbulent medias: what we actually call astroclimatology. At the present the site campaigns are evolved and are performed using the classical scheme of optical seeing properties, meteorological parameters, sky transparency, sky darkness and cloudiness. New concept are added and are related to the geophysical properties such as seismicity, microseismicity, local variability of the climate, atmospheric conditions related to the ground optical turbulence and ground wind regimes, aerosol presence, use of satellite data. The purpose of this project is to provide reliable methods to analyze the atmospheric properties that affect ground-based optical astronomical observations and to correlate them with the main atmospheric parameters generating turbulence and affecting the photometric accuracy. The first part of the research concerns the analysis and interpretation of longand short-time scale meteorological data at two of the most important astronomical sites located in very different environments: the Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert (Chile), and the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos(ORM) located in La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain). The optical properties of airborne dust at ORM have been investigated collecting outdoor data using a ground-based dust monitor. Because of its dryness, Paranal is a suitable observatory for near-IR observations, thus the extinction properties in the spectral range 1.00-2.30 um have been investigated using an empirical method. Furthermore, this PhD research has been developed using several turbulence profilers in the selection of the site for the European Extremely Large Telescope(E-ELT). During the campaigns the properties of the turbulence at different heights at Paranal and in the sites located in northern Chile and Argentina have been studied. This given the possibility to characterize the surface layer turbulence at Paranal and its connection with local meteorological conditions.

The quality of astronomical sites is the first step to be considered to have the best performances from the telescopes. In particular, the efficiency of large telescopes in UV, IR, radio etc. is critically dependent on atmospheric transparency. It is well known that the random optical effects induced on the light propagation by turbulent atmosphere also limit telescope’s performances. Nowadays, clear appears the importance to correlate the main atmospheric physical parameters with the optical quality reachable by large aperture telescopes. The sky quality evaluation improved with the introduction of new techniques, new instrumentations and with the understanding of the link between the meteorological (or synoptical parameters and the observational conditions thanks to the application of the theories of electromagnetic waves propagation in turbulent medias: what we actually call astroclimatology. At the present the site campaigns are evolved and are performed using the classical scheme of optical seeing properties, meteorological parameters, sky transparency, sky darkness and cloudiness. New concept are added and are related to the geophysical properties such as seismicity, microseismicity, local variability of the climate, atmospheric conditions related to the ground optical turbulence and ground wind regimes, aerosol presence, use of satellite data. The purpose of this project is to provide reliable methods to analyze the atmospheric properties that affect ground-based optical astronomical observations and to correlate them with the main atmospheric parameters generating turbulence and affecting the photometric accuracy. The first part of the research concerns the analysis and interpretation of longand short-time scale meteorological data at two of the most important astronomical sites located in very different environments: the Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert (Chile), and the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos(ORM) located in La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain). The optical properties of airborne dust at ORM have been investigated collecting outdoor data using a ground-based dust monitor. Because of its dryness, Paranal is a suitable observatory for near-IR observations, thus the extinction properties in the spectral range 1.00-2.30 um have been investigated using an empirical method. Furthermore, this PhD research has been developed using several turbulence profilers in the selection of the site for the European Extremely Large Telescope(E-ELT). During the campaigns the properties of the turbulence at different heights at Paranal and in the sites located in northern Chile and Argentina have been studied. This given the possibility to characterize the surface layer turbulence at Paranal and its connection with local meteorological conditions.

Knowledge of the potential productivity of a tree species becomes especially important when timber production is the primary management objective. However, direct determination of potential productivity is often not possible. For example, in situations where the site is unstocked, stocked with trees unsuitable for productivity measurement, or stocked with species other than the one of interest. In these cases, an indirect estimate using known characteristics of the site itself is required. Such estimates were made using regression to model site index with indirect measures of site quality for lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and interior spruce (Picea engelmannii × P. glauca) in the Sub-Boreal Spruce (SBS) zone of central BC. We tested the utility of these productivity relationship models for predicting the site index of lodgepole pine and interior spruce (Kayahara et al. accepted for publication).

This study demonstrated a technique for fabricating simple, low-cost Paper Microbial fuel cells (PMFC’s) in the model of a previous study to, for the first time, produce voltage from wastewater effluent. The PMFC’s were created by stacking and gluing the main components of an MFC together: reservoir layer; anode; cation exchange membrane (CEM); air cathode. A wax printer was used to create the hydrophobic borders of the PMFC’s on filter paper, and graphite paint was applied to the paper to create the anode. The CEM’s considered were filter paper, wax, and Nafion, with Nafion being the most efficient. Finally, the air cathode was made using carbon veil, and leads (or resistors) were placed in both anode and cathode layers for voltage measurement. Confirming previous studies’ results, the PMFC’s had a rapid startup time and sustained voltage for at least 10 minutes. The study also found that: Nafion was the best CEM; painting one side of the anode had the highest voltage; higher surface area increased voltage; increased time from sampling decreased voltage. Thus, this study proved that the small, low-cost PMFC devices described in previous studies can produce a voltage using primary effluent, and showed that the surface area of the PMFC could be optimized to increase voltage.

Cette thèse propose une approche originale de test de vulnérabilité Web à partir de modèles etdirigée par des patterns de tests, nommée PMVT. Son objectif est d’améliorer la capacité de détectionde quatre types de vulnérabilité majeurs, Cross-Site Scripting, Injections SQL, Cross-Site RequestForgery, et Privilege Escalation. PMVT repose sur l’utilisation d’un modèle comportemental del’application Web, capturant ses aspects fonctionnels, et sur un ensemble de patterns de test devulnérabilité qui adressent un type de vulnérabilité de manière générique, quelque soit le type del’application Web sous test.Par l’adaptation de technologies MBT existantes, nous avons développé une chaîne outillée complèteautomatisant la détection des quatre types de vulnérabilité. Ce prototype a été exprimenté et évaluésur deux applications réelles, actuellement utiliseés par plusieurs dizaines de milliers d’utilisateurs.Les résultats d’expérimentation démontrent la pertinence et de l’efficience de PMVT, notamment enaméliorant de façon significative la capacité de détection de vulnérabilités vis à vis des scannersautomatiques d’applications Web existants
This thesis proposes an original approach, dubbed PMVT for Pattern-driven and Model-basedVulnerability Testing, which aims to improve the capability for detecting four high-profile vulnerabilitytypes, Cross-Site Scripting, SQL Injections, CSRF and Privilege Escalations, and reduce falsepositives and false negatives verdicts. PMVT relies on the use of a behavioral model of theapplication, capturing its functional aspects, and a set of vulnerability test patterns that addressvulnerabilities in a generic way. By adapting existing MBT technologies, an integrated toolchain that supports PMVT automates thedetection of the four vulnerability types in Web applications. This prototype has been experimentedand evaluated on two real-life Web applications that are currently used by tens of thousandsusers. Experiments have highlighted the effectiveness and efficiency of PMVT and shown astrong improvement of vulnerability detection capabilities w.r.t. available automated Web applicationscanners for these kind of vulnerabilities

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is a sum parameter that is frequently used in water analytics. Highly resolved and accurate DOC data are necessary, for instance, for water quality monitoring and for the evaluation of the efficiency of treatment processes. The conventional DOC determination methods consist of on-site sampling and subsequent analysis in a stationary device in a laboratory. However, especially in regions where no or only poorly equipped laboratories are available, this method bears the risk of getting erroneous results. For this reason, the objective of the present study was to set up a reliable and portable DOC analyzer for on-site analysis. The presented DOC system is equipped with an electrolysis-based decomposition cell with boron-doped diamond electrodes (BDD) that oxidizes the organic compounds to carbon dioxide. Within this study, the influence of different electrode materials and the composition of the applied electrolytes on the DOC decomposition in an undivided electrolytic cell were systematically investigated. Furthermore, some technical aspects of the portable prototype are discussed. After a detailed validation, the prototype was used in an ongoing monitoring program in Northern India. The limit of detection is 0.1 mg L−1 C with a relative standard deviation of 2.3% in a linear range up to 1000 mg L C−1. The key features of the portable DOC analyzer are: No need for ultra-pure gases, catalysts or burning technology, an analyzing time per sample below 5 min, and a reliable on-site DOC determination.

Information presented in site investigation reports has a strong influence in design, project costs and safety. For this reason, both the quality and the reliability of site investigation reports are important. However in our country, geotechnical engineering is relegated to second place and site investigation studies, especially parcel-basis ground investigation works
do not receive the attention they deserve. In this study, site investigation reports, that are required for the license of design projects, are examined and the missing/incorrect site investigations, laboratory tests, geotechnical evaluations and geotechnical suggestions that occur in the reports are catalogued. Also, frequency of each mistake is statistically examined
for geotechnical engineers, recommendations and solutions are presented to help them avoid frequent problems.

Atmospheric turbulence results taken on the Antarctic plateau are presented in this thesis. Covering two high sites: South Pole and Dome C, this work describes their seeing and meteorological conditions. Using an acoustic sounder to study the turbulence profile of the first kilo- metre of the atmosphere and a Differential Image Motion Monitor (DIMM) to investigate the integrated seeing we are able to deduce important at- mospheric parameters such as the Fried parameter (r0) and the isoplanatic angle (??0). It was found that at the two sites, the free atmosphere (above the first kilometer) was extremely stable and contributed between 0.2" and 0.3" of the total seeing with no evidence of jet or vortex peaks of strong turbulence. The boundary layer turbulence is what differentiates the two sites. Located on the Western flank of the plateau, the South Pole is prone to katabatic winds. Dome C on the other hand is on a local maximum of the plateau and the wind conditions are amongst the calmest in the world. Also linked to the topography is the vertical extent of the temperature in- version that is required to create optical turbulence. At the South Pole the inversion reaches 300 m and only 30 m at Dome C. This difference results in relatively poor seeing conditions at the South Pole (1.8") and excellent at Dome C (0.27"). The strong correlation between the seeing and the ground layer meteorological conditions indicates that even better seeing could be found at Dome A, the highest point of the plateau. Having most of the turbulence near the ground is also incredibly ad- vantageous for adaptive optics. The isoplanatic angle is respectively 3.3" and 5.7" for the South Pole and Dome C. This is significantly larger than at temperate sites where the average isoplanatic angle rarely exceeds 2". This means that wider fields can be corrected without the complication of conjugation to specific layers. For such purpose the potential is even more interesting. We show that ground conjugated adaptive optics would decrease the natural seeing to 0.22" for a wide field of 10 and 0.47" for a field of 1" at the South Pole. At Dome C the results are less impressive due to the already excellent seeing, but a gain of 0.1"e can still be achieved over 1"e. These results show that high angular resolution observations can be done better on the Antarctic plateau than any other known site.

The unique advantages for astronomy on the Antarctic plateau are now well established. In particular, Dome C, Antarctica is potentially one of the best new sites for optical, infrared and sub-millimeter astronomy, presenting the opportunity to build unique astronomical instruments. Located high on the Antarctic plateau, Dome C offers low wind, clear skies, and negligible precipitation. This thesis addresses three additional properties of the site relevant to optical astronomy-sky brightness, atmospheric extinction and optical turbulence. The sky at an optical astronomy site must be dark, and the atmosphere very clean with minimal light extinction. At present little is known from an astronomer's perspective about the optical sky brightness and atmospheric extinction at most Antarctic sites. The high latitude of Dome C means that the Sun spends a relatively small amount of time far below the horizon, implying longer periods of astronomical twilight and less optical dark time than other sites, especially those close to the equator. We review the contributions to sky brightness at high-latitude sites, and calculate the amount of usable dark time at Dome C. We also explore the implications of the limited sky coverage of high-latitude sites, and review optical extinction data from the South Pole. A proposal to extend the amount of usable dark time through the use of polarising filters is examined, and we present the design and calibration of an instrument (called Nigel) to measure the brightness, spectrum and temporal characteristics of the twilight and night sky. The atmospheric turbulence profile above an astronomical site limits the achievable resolution and sensitivity of a telescope. The atmospheric conditions above high plateau Antarctic sites are different to temperate sites; the boundary layer of turbulence is confined very close to the surface, and the upper atmosphere turbulence very weak. We present the first winter-time turbulence profiles of the atmosphere above Dome C, and characterise the site in terms of the achievable precision for photometry and astrometry, and the isoplanatic angle and coherence time for the adaptive optics.

L'intérêt de l'industrie automobile vers les chambres réverbérantes pour des essais en compatibilité électromagnétique a augmenté considérablement dans les dernières années. Cet intérêt vient de la possibilité d'exploiter certaines propriétés des chambres réverbérantes pour optimiser le procédé industriel de validation CEM. Cependant, plusieurs aspects théoriques qui sont à la base d'une méthodologie de test en chambre réverbérante restent à être explorés ou clarifiés. Certains de ces aspects sont approfondis dans cette thèse, dans l'optique des tests en immunité rayonnée pour des applications automobiles. La qualification de l'environnement électromagnétique d'une chambre réverbérante est d'abord considérée, avec une attention particulière vers l'incertitude de mesure et l'effet de charge du a l'introduction d'une voiture dans la chambre. Une approche statistique originale pour modéliser le couplage des champs avec des objets électriques est ensuite proposée et appliquée à l'analyse du couplage du champ avec le réseau électrique d'un véhicule. La reproductibilité des essais et la corrélation avec les résultats obtenus en chambre anéchoique sont enfin étudiées par voie théorique et par voie expérimentale au moyen de la répétition des essais effectués sur un dispositif électronique dans plusieurs chambres réverbérantes et dans une chambre semi-anéchoique.

This report aims to recommend National Small Wind Turbine Centre (NSWTC), the preliminary requirements to conduct the power performance test of Small Wind Turbines in accordance to the IEC61400-12-1 standard. It also investigates the availability of wind resource at the test site, which will assist to manage testing schedule by developing wind predicting models using WAsP software. The objectives of the project are- 1st objective –Assessing the requirements for power performance testing • Checking test site compatibility with the IEC61400-12-1 standard • Recommending brands of monitoring instruments by using the IEC61400-12-1 standard and IEA proposed selection criteria • Recommending appropriate designing for positioning of monitoring instruments by using the IEC61400-12-1 standard as a tool 2nd objective – Assessing the test site limitations to identify factors that will assist to manage the power performance test schedule at the test site such as- • Types of turbines that can be tested, which meet the criteria set by the IEC61400-12-1 and the BWEA standard • Suitable times of the year for testing to satisfy the criteria set by IEC61400-12-1 and the BWEA standard • Overall length of time required to complete the test in accordance to the IEC61400-12-1 and the BWEA standard The report concludes that – • Site calibration at the NSWTC test site is required in order to comply with the IEC61400-12-1 standards. • Some of the monitoring instruments have to be repurchased to test in accordance to the IEC61400-12-1 standard. For example- NSWTC should reconsider purchasing a cup anemometer with a class type better than 1.7A, to comply with IEC61400-12-1. • The mountings of monitoring instruments can be arranged without major modification to test up to a 5 meter rotor diameter turbine. Beyond this, special arrangements have to be made such as laying out a new concrete foundation for a meteorological mast. • The WAsP prediction results show, power performance tests can only be carried out on a limited range of wind turbines because the required wind bins are highly unlikely to be complete for turbines falling outside the range. Further, the predicted wind bins for individual months of the year should be considered for approximating a time period of the test, selecting a suitable month to begin the test and also for preparing test schedules of different turbines over a year. In the absence of real data at the test site, it is recommended that NSWTC should initially consider the predicted results when selecting turbines for testing. Future decisions on turbine selection should be based on the meteorological data collected at the site over at least a year in conjunction with the WAsP model.

A crossover design study was conducted to determine if reducing pain, by using alternative sites off the finger tip, would increase testing frequency and improve clinical outcome as measured by glycosylated hemoglobin. Subjects with type I and type 2 diabetes tested with the FreeStyle alternative-site meter (group I) or tested with their original meter (group 2). After 3 months the subjects used the alternate meter. Testing frequency and blood glucose concentrations were recorded for the month before the study began and monthly thereafter. Glycosylated hemoglobin was tested initially, at the crossover point, and at study conclusion. Insulin users increased testing frequency from 2.4 to 3.0 tests per day. Testing frequency for non-insulin users remained the same at 1.5 tests per day. Testing frequency was essentially the same with the FreeStyle and the original meters. The average hemoglobin A1c was 7.4% (standard deviation 1.5%) initially, 7.3% (standard deviation 1.5%) at the crossover point, and 6.9% (standard deviation 1.1%) after 6 months. There was no significant difference in hemoglobin A1c measurements between meter types after 6 months. Thirteen months later a final hemoglobin A1c, testing frequency, and a questionnaire regarding meter preference and pain rating were obtained. Seventy-four percent of participants preferred the alternative-site meter, which was rated as significantly (p < .05) less painful. Testing frequency significantly improved (p = .001) while free strips were being provided. Testing frequency 13 months later was not significantly different from the baseline (p = .101). Hemoglobin A 1 c was significantly lower 6 months after the study began (p = .000) and 13 months later (p = .008) at baseline.

Since the late 1800s, testing has been a part of education. Supporters claim testing encourages objectivity in assessments of learning. Critics argue testing creates bias, restricted teaching methodology, and restricted curriculum. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires school accountability that has increased the push for standardized testing. High school students present a unique challenge for administrators on the low-risk California Standards Tests (CSTs). The CSTs in mathematics are complex in reference to student composition, range of courses tested, and sequence of previous math courses taken by the student. This complex nature of the CSTs in mathematics makes test preparation decisions difficult for the site administrator. Schools have developed test preparation practices in the hopes of improving student performance on these standardized tests. Some of these practices require a great deal of time, energy, and money to create and execute. The administrator must use these precious resources judiciously. Therefore, there is a need for further investigation of the criteria used by site administrators for selection of test preparation practices for CSTs in mathematics. Using qualitative analysis, this study researched the criteria used by the high school site administrators to govern their decision of which test preparation practices for CSTs in mathematics to establish at their school. This study included 18 administrators at 15 schools in the southern San Joaquin Valley in California that met their Academic Performance Index growth targets for 2006.

Background: Catheter ablation is a successful tool for the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) but procedures are long and complex. Pacemapping is used to locate the site of origin (SO) of VA but there is currently no guide as to where the catheter should be placed in order to locate the SO. Aims: 1. To identify variables related to intracardiac catheter location that may alter the paced QRS morphology. 2. To investigate the relationship between change in surface ECG morphology and distance within the ventricles. 3. To test a novel software algorithm that uses the above relationship m individual patients to prospectively locate the SO of VA. Methods: Patients undergoing ablation of VAs were enrolled. Data from pacemapping within tissue with preserved myocardial voltage was collected and measurements made on QRS morphology and intracardiac electro grams. Data on catheter position and chamber geometry were extracted from a 3D mapping system into custom software to construct linear regression models of distance against morphology difference. A novel software algorithm to automatically locate the SO of VAs was prospectively tested. Results: 935 pacemaps were collected in 68 patients over 74 procedures. QRS width was associated with pacing within dense scar tissue. 6219 pacemap pairs were used in distance-similarity regression models. Distance was significantly and positively associated with change in ECG morphology between patients and across ventricles despite the presence of structural heart disease. The software algorithm was tested on 46 clinical VAs in 35 separate procedures and correctly identified the exit site of 45/46 VAs. Conclusions: There is a robust relationship between distance and difference in surface EeG morphology when pacemapping in myocardium with preserved voltage. This relationship can be constructed in individual patients using a software algorithm and used to identify the SO of VAs in an automated manner.

Archaeological investigations rarely focus on streets and street related features. This thesis adds to the literature on this topic by discussing the archaeological excavation of the James F.D. Lanier State Historic Site. The excavation explored the integrity of First Street and its related components. Phosphate testing was also utilized to aid the identification of early street surfaces. The excavation revealed massive disturbance of the street due to landscaping activities. Possible street surfaces as well as intact features such as a section of concrete, streetside rain gutter, brick sidewalk, and fence base stones revealed that not all was destroyed.
Department of Anthropology

St. Vincent Island is one of the barrier islands in the Florida panhandle between Apalachicola Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge encompasses all 5000 hectares of the island. Archaeological fieldwork in the summer of 2009 included a survey of the entire island and a test unit at one of the island's richest sites. In spring of 2010 a second test unit was excavated at another archaeologically rich site. A total of 16 known sites were investigated and two newly discovered sites recorded. This research combines all these data with information obtained from existing artifact collections and archives, as well as results of a widespread geological survey of the island, in order to characterize the prehistoric archaeological record on the island, which stretches back at least 4000 years or more, to the time of the island's first formation. Subsistence, settlement patterns, site use, and change through time in the human adaptation on St. Vincent are described in relation to the preexisting cultural chronology of the region, especially that of other barrier islands. Settlement from all time periods is concentrated on the north and east shorelines, with not much human use of the island interior until recent historic time. Geological indication of sea level fluctuations on the islands oldest shoreline section, on the northeast tip, is combined with archaeological evidence to suggest responses to rising sea levels.

The Pile Mound survey includes magnetometry paired with targeted ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic induction (EMI) surveys of the mound and testing of associated features over the ca. 6.5 ha site. The GPR survey discovered six rock features (five large rock features within the mound and one marking the outside of the mound). Knowledge of mounds in the Upper Cumberland Plateau (UCP) is lacking—the closest other studied sites are at the Corbin Site, Croley-Evans, Bell Site, and Beasley Mounds, approximately 75 – 100 km away. However, the most similar mound construction is found at Corbin and Cherokee sites, some 175 – 275 km away. In addition, the associated ceramic assemblage appears to reflect more similarity to the East Tennessee Valley rather than the Middle Cumberland region. These data provide a unique opportunity to better understand the Mississippian occupation in the UCP of Tennessee.

In the last decades, earthen constructions have long been debated in the civil engineering and architecture community. Two are the focal points at the center of this debate: on one hand, the rediscovery of earth as an eco-friendly and easily available material, which can be used for the design of new constructions; on the other hand, the recovery, restoration and structural reinforcement of the existing buildings, particularly sensitive to degradation phenomena and vulnerable to seismic actions. Portugal has a significant heritage of earthen constructions. Currently, many vernacular buildings, especially in the district of Aveiro, are still in use and some of them have historical and artistic value. However, many of them are in poor state of conservation and many of the incurred problems are due to the lack of in depth knowledge of the materials and construction systems traditionally used. In this contest, the present study aims to increase the knowledge of adobe constructions in Portugal concerning the characterization of the material and its mechanical properties, such as the uniaxial compressive stress in some adobe samples and the shear strength of masonry joints, to have valid instruments for the recovery and conservation. These data are achieved through the development of some diagnostic testing carried out on site on a vernacular building in Aveiro region, which were integrated with laboratory tests in order to reach a better reliability of the obtained results. This research aims to prove the importance of tiling several diagnostic tests to optimize the knowledge of properties and mechanical characteristics of the tested material. This study also has the objective to draw up some guidelines and recommendations for future researches and to provide a valid contribution for all the future interventions of restoration, conservation and rehabilitation of earthen constructions, because earth is a not standardized material and still little investigated.

Astronomical images taken by ground-based telescopes are subject to aberrations induced by the Earth's atmosphere. Adaptive optics (AO) provides a real-time solution to compensate for aberrated wavefronts. The University of Canterbury would like to install an AO system on the 1-m McLellan telescope at Mount John University Observatory (MJUO). The research presented in this thesis is the first step towards this goal. To design an effective AO system it is important to understand the characteristics of the optical turbulence present at a site. Scintillation detection and ranging (SCIDAR) is a remote sensing method capable of measuring the refractive index structure constant, Cn2(h), and the wind velocity profile, V(h). The dominant near ground turbulence (NGT) at MJUO required the use of both pupil-plane and generalised SCIDAR. A purpose-built SCIDAR system was designed and constructed at low cost, using primarily off-the-shelf components. UC-SCIDAR saw first light at MJUO in 2003, and has since undergone several revisions. The current version employs two channels for simultaneous pupil-plane and generalised SCIDAR measurements, and is very portable. Through the use of a different mounting plate the system could be easily placed onto any telescope. Cn2(h) profiling utilised standard analysis techniques. V(h) profiling using data from a 1-m telescope is not common, and existing analysis techniques were extended to provide meaningful V(h) profiles, via the use of partial triplet analysis. Cn2(h) profiling between 2005 and 2007 indicate strong NGT and a weak turbulent layer located at 12 - 14 km above sea level, associated with the tropopause region. During calm weather conditions, an additional layer was detected at 6 - 7 km above sea level. V(h) profiles suggest that the tropopause layer velocity is nominally 12 - 30 m/s, and that NGT velocities range from 2 m/s to over 20 m/s, dependent on weather. Little seasonal variation was detected in either Cn2(h) or V(h) profiles. The average coherence length, $r_0$, was found to be 12+-5 cm and 7+-1 cm for pupil-plane and generalised measurements respectively, for a wavelength of 589 nm. The average isoplanatic angle, $\theta_0$, was 1.5+-0.5 arcseconds and 1.1+-0.4 arcseconds for pupil-plane and generalised profiles respectively. No seasonal trends could be established in the measurements for the Greenwood frequency, $f_G$, due to gaps present in the V(h) profiles obtained. A modified Hufnagel-Valley (HV) model was developed to describe the Cn2(h) profiles at MJUO. The estimated $r_0$ from the model is 6 cm for a wavelength of 589 nm, corresponding to an uncompensated angular resolution, $\theta_{res}$, of 2.5 arcseconds. $\theta_0$ is 0.9 arcseconds. A series of V(h) models were developed, based on the Greenwood wind model with an additional Gaussian peak located at low altitudes, to encompass the various V(h) profiles seen at MJUO. Using the modified HV model for Cn2(h) profiles and the suggested model for V(h) profiles in the presence of moderate ground wind speeds, $f_G$ is estimated at 79 Hz. The Tyler frequency, $f_T$, is estimated at 11 Hz. Due to financial considerations, it is suggested that the initial AO design for MJUO focuses on the correction of tip/tilt only, utilising self-guiding, as it is unlikely that any suitable guide stars would be sufficiently close to the science object. The low $f_T$ suggests that an AO system with a bandwidth in the order of 60 Hz would be adequate for tip/tilt correction.

Offshore developments for hydrocarbon resources have now progressed to water depths approaching 2500 m. Due to the difficulties and high cost in recovering high quality samples from deepwater site, there is increasing reliance on in situ tests such as piezocone and full-flow (i.e. T-bar and ball) penetration tests for determining the geotechnical design parameters. This research was undertaken in collaboration with the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), as part of a joint industry project, to improve the reliability of in situ tests in determining design parameters and to improve offshore site investigation practice in deepwater soft sediments. In this research, a worldwide high quality database was assembled and used to correlate intact and remoulded shear strengths (measured from laboratory and vane shear tests) with penetration resistances measured by piezocone, T-bar and ball penetrometers. The overall statistics showed similar and low levels of variability of resistance factors for intact shear strength (N-factors) for all three types of penetrometer. In the correlation between the remoulded penetration resistance and remoulded shear strength, the resistance factors for remoulded shear strength (Nrem-factors) were found higher than the N-factors. As a result, the resistance sensitivity is less than the strength sensitivity. The correlations between the derived N-factors and specific soil characteristics indicated that the piezocone N-factors are more influenced by rigidity index than those for the T-bar and ball penetrometers. The effect of strength anisotropy is only apparent in respect of N-factors for the T-bar and ball penetrometers correlated to shear strengths measured in triaxial compression. On the other hand, the Nrem-factors showed slight tendency to increase with increasing strength sensitivity but were insensitive to soil index properties. These findings suggest that the full-flow penetrometers may be used to estimate remoulded shear strength and are potentially prove more reliable than the piezocone in estimating average or vane shear strength for intact soil but the reverse is probably true for the estimation of triaxial compression strength.

The structural behaviour of pavement structures is known to be affected by the traffic-related loading and by the ambient factors to which the structure is subjected. A new mechanistic-empirical (M-E) pavement design method is under development in Sweden with the main purpose to adequately predict pavement structural response and performance. An M-E design method for a flexible pavement means application of the principles of engineering mechanics to evaluate the response of pavement structure to traffic loading and much improved design methods to carry out distress prediction or how performance changes with time. This would ensure a fundamental understanding of how the pavement structure responds to a certain action or loading conditions.  The mechanistic-empirical approach is more flexible as it is able to adapt to new situations such as new pavement materials and loading situations. It is important to take into account the real loading and climatic conditions and predict the resulting changes in material properties and structural behaviour at the time of loading as well as in the long-term. New models are therefore required for the further development of pavement design method, and it needs to be validated through reliable data obtained through realistic measurements. In this licentiate thesis, the effects of the environmental factors and loading by heavy vehicles in pavements are investigated. The results of the study are based on environmental data from multiple locations in Sweden and on measurements from two instrumented road sections located near the village of Långträsk in the northern part of Sweden. Both roads consist of thin flexible pavements, the behaviour of which is highly dependent on the variation of the temperature of the asphalt layer, the moisture content in the unbound granular layers, and frost depth conditions. The licentiate report consists of three scientific publications.  Paper 1 presents a country-specific case study in which the frost penetration depth in various Swedish roads is predicted by a statistically derived empirical model that uses the air freezing index calculated from the air temperature as an input. The model correlation is based on meteorological data from 44 meteorological stations and pavement cross-sectional temperature distribution data from 49 road weather information system (RWIS) stations over all five climatic zones throughout all of Sweden. Paper 2 focuses on the response of an instrumented test section subjected to loading by falling weight deflectometer (FWD) and heavy vehicles. The mechanical response instrumentation consisted of asphalt strain gauges (ASG), strain measuring units (εMU), and soil pressure cells (SPC) installed at different locations in the structure. The layer stiffness values were obtained via backcalculation based on the FWD surface deflections bowls. The recorded values of the mechanical response were compared against calculated values by multilayer elastic theory (MLET) based software. Three different heavy vehicles weighing from ~64 tons to ~74 tons were compared in terms of damage caused to the pavement structure. It was found that if the number of axles was increased and dual tyres were used, longer heavier vehicles were not more destructive to the pavement structure than shorter vehicles with fewer axles and higher axial load and tyre pressure. In paper 3, the effect of the seasonal variation of the environmental factors on the behaviour of an instrumented road test section was investigated. The same loading configuration described in paper 2 was used on four different measurement campaigns in different seasons over the span of 1 year. The environmental variables were monitored throughout the year by asphalt thermocouples, a frost rod, and time-domain reflectometer (TDR) probes. The mechanical response sensors and the environmental sensors were found to be a reliable data collection method throughout the entire year. By comparing the recorded response values to the MLET calculated values, it was shown that it is possible to model the mechanical behaviour of pavement structures using linear-elastic MLET if the temperature variations in the asphalt layer and the moisture variations in the granular layers are taken into account.
Utvecklingen av det strukturella tillståndet av vägbyggnader är beroende av trafikmängd samt vägkonstruktionens omgivningsfaktorer. En mekanistisk-empiriskdimensioneringsmetod för vägkonstruktioner är under utveckling i Sverige med huvudsyftet att på realistiskt sätt kunna förutsäga vägens respons och tillståndsutveckling. En M-E dimensionering betyder att man applicerar mekanistiska grundprinciper för att bestämma vägkonstruktionens respons under trafikbelastning och tillämpar sedan överföringsfunktioner för att förutsäga nedbrytningsförloppet. Att använda en mekanistiskt baserad metod innebär att man får en grundläggande förståelse av hur vägkonstruktionen svarar på en specifik påverkan eller belastning. Detta mera realistiska tillvägagångsätt ger dessutom ökad flexibilitet och gör att metoden kan appliceras vid nya belastningsfall eller under nya klimatförhållanden. Det blir därför möjligt att ta hänsyn till det riktiga belastningsfallet under de rätta klimatförhållandena. Detta gör att nyamodeller för vägkonstruktionens respons behövs och att dessa måste valideras för realistiska trafikbelastningsfall. I denna licentiatavhandling undersöks hur omgivningsvariabler och trafikbelastning från tunga lastbilar påverkar vägkonstruktioner. Resultat från denna studie bygger på omgivningsdata från ett stort antal mätstationer i Sverige och från mätningar från två instrumenterade vägsträckor nära byn Långträski Norrland. Båda vägkonstruktionerna består av tunna vägöverbyggnader och därför är responsen starkt beroende av beläggningstemperaturen och fuktinnehållet i vägbyggnadens obundna lager samt frostdjupet.Rapporten bygger på tre publikationer.Första artikeln presenterar hur frostdjup i svenska vägar kan förutsägas utifrån en statistisk modell som använder ett frostindex beräknat från lufttemperaturen. Modellen bygger på en anpassning av data från 44 meteorologiska väderstationer och 49 av Trafikverkets väderinformationsstationer distribuerade över alla fem klimatzoner i Sverige. Den andra artikeln fokuserar på responsmätningar från en instrumenterad vägtestplats där både fallvikt samt tunga lastbilar har använts för lastgenerering. Den vägtekniska instrumenteringen bestod av asfalttöjningsgivare (ASG), trycktöjningsgivare (MU), och jordtyckceller (SPC) installerade på olika djup. Styvhet av de olika lagren bakberäknades baserat på data från fallviktsmätningarna. De registrerade värdena från de vägtekniska givarna jämfördes med desom beräknades med hjälp av beräkningsverktyget ERAPave. Tre lastbilar med den totala tyngden mellan ~64 –~74 ton användes sedan för att jämföra deras relativa nedbrytningseffekt. Slutsatsen är att om antal axlar ökas med ökad tyngdoch om parmonterade däck användes är nedbrytningseffekten från 74 ton lastbil inte större än från en lättare lastbil med färre axlar. I artikel tre fokuseras det på effekten av hur klimatfaktorer påverkar vägkonstruktionens respons. Samma lastbilar som iden andra artikeln användes under fyra mätkampanjer vid olika tidpunkter på året. Omgivningsparametrarna registrerades i form av beläggningstemperatur och fukt i de obundna lagren samt frostdjupet. Vägens mekaniska respons beräknades genom att uppdatera styvhetsmodulerna utifrån beläggningens temperatur och de obundna lagrens med fuktkvoter och jämföra med de uppmätta responsvärdena. Beräkningsmetodiken visar sig ge bra överensstämmelse med det om uppmättes.

QC 210303

The purpose of this study is to assess the engineering geological and geotechnical characteristics and to perform seismic hazard studies of the Upper Pliocene to Quaternary (Plio-Quaternary) deposits located towards the north of Ankara through surface wave testing methods. Based on a general engineering geological and seismic site characterization studies, site classification systems are assigned in seismic hazard assessments. The objective of the research is to determine the regional and local seismic soil conditions (i.e., shear wave velocities, soil predominant periods and soil amplification factors) and to characterize the soil profile of the sites in this region by the help of surface geophysical methods. These studies have been supported by engineering geological and geotechnical field studies carried out prior to and during this study. By integrating these studies, local soil conditions and dynamic soil characteristics for the study area have been assessed by detailed soil characterization in the region. As a result, seismic hazard assessments have been performed for Ç
ubuk and its close vicinity with the aid of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) through establishing seismic characterization and local soil conditions of the area.

Peatlands in Southern South America (SSA), in the path of the Southern Westerly Wind belt (SWW), offer the potential of reliable palaeoclimate archives. This investigation aimed to test the late-Holocene climate signal related to variability of the SWW. Three sites were investigated: San Juan and Karukinka bog, southernmost Chile and San Carlos, a Sphagnum dominated bog, discovered in the Falkland Islands, to form a regional comparison. A multi-proxy approach was used, combining both palaeoecological and stable isotopic methods. At one site, Karukinka, intra-site replicability was tested across three profiles located along a microtopographical gradient. A low number of statistically significant correlations between proxies were evident. KAR-EM-1, the low-hummock profile, displayed the highest number of significant correlations, suggesting an optimal coring location. Chronological uncertainty in the high-hummock profile, KAR-EM-3, was the focus of discussion. Intra-site replicability between the palaeoecological records was improved by plotting the records against a ‘master chronology’, from the mid-hummock profile, KAR-EM-2, assuming a synchronous acrotelm-catotelm boundary across the profiles. The testate amoeba inferred depth to water table (WTD) reconstructions offered the highest intra-site coherence, while the stable isotope records suggested generally poor intra-site replicability. A semi-quantitative method of intra-site comparison was carried out which resulted in a number of climate scenarios. The inter-site comparison assessed correlations between the records from the three sites. A lack of significant correlations between the sites may have been due to regional climate variations and differences in the temporal resolution of the records. Robust climatic inferences were limited to the last 300 years. The WTD reconstructions displayed the highest inter-site coherence and suggested a drying trend after AD 1930 due to a southerly shift of the SWW. Late-Holocene climate variability was inferred from the palaeoecological records from Karukinka. Two periods were identified: a MCA period of generally wetter conditions (AD 750-1100) and a LIA period of overall drier conditions (~AD 1100-1900) during a southerly and northerly shifted SWW respectively, driven by solar variability and polar cell strengthening.

Le développement du cnd s'est accéléré ces dernières années en raison de l'intérêt que portent les industriels à ces nouvelles méthodes de contrôle, pour des raisons techniques et économiques. L’arrivée de nouveaux matériaux de structure de plus en plus complexe et aux performances élevées par rapport aux matériaux classiques exige des contrôles de qualité très stricts durant le processus de fabrication et jusqu'au suivi en utilisation. Notre travail contribue à la caractérisation des matériaux hétérogènes par ultrasons, avec des applications sur des matériaux composites a matrices métallique et organique. Notre démarche consiste à combiner l'apport des ultrasons haute fréquence à celui du traitement du signal pour fournir des informations quantitatives sur des matériaux étudiés. L’utilisation d'ondes ultrasonores de fréquence élevée permet d'obtenir un meilleur pouvoir de résolution ainsi qu'une sensibilité plus importante des ondes aux microstructures. Nous présentons des méthodes de traitement du signal permettant d'extraire la signature des réflexions sur les hétérogénéités; et l'évaluation du paramètre d'espacement moyen entre diffuseurs de la structure hétérogène, à partir des informations contenues dans le signal rétrodiffusé

L’objet de cette thèse est le développement d'un code de calcul, basé sur une formulation mathématique explicite, permettant de calculer le champ de déplacement transitoire généré par un transducteur ultrasonore plan, en contact direct avec un milieu solide, homogène et isotrope. La formulation adoptée introduit la fonction de green élastodynamique temporelle. La réponse impulsionnelle de déplacement est donnée sous forme d'une somme de trois intégrales de surface, qui représentent respectivement les contributions des ondes de compression, de cisaillement et de la combinaison de ces deux ondes (terme du champ proche). Le calcul de ces intégrales est réalisé grâce à la méthode de la représentation discrète (dr), basée sur l'approche de la réponse impulsionnelle. Ceci a donné naissance au code dream/s (discrete representation acoustical modelling in solids). Le calcul, ne nécessitant aucune opération mathématique préalable, est purement numérique et ne présente aucune singularité mathématique. Le logiciel dream/s offre plusieurs possibilités à l'opérateur, en mettant à sa disposition différentes bibliothèques pour effectuer une large gamme d'études pratiques. Au regard des solutions explicites existantes dans la littérature, qui sont limitées à un seul type de sources (circulaire ou annulaire), notre approche permet d'étudier un transducteur plan ayant une forme arbitraire, en un temps de calcul très intéressant. Dream/s a été validé par rapport à des solutions analytiques et exactes dans le cas d'un transducteur circulaire ou carre travaillant en mode épaisseur. De nouveaux cas d'études ont été analysés et interprétés tels que les transducteurs rectangulaires et les barrettes linéaires. Une vérification expérimentale des résultats de dream/s est réalisée. Pour ceci, une présentation multi-canaux des signaux enregistrés est adoptée. Cela a permis de développer un outil d'interprétation du champ ultrasonore complexe. La comparaison calcul/mesure a montré une bonne concordance des résultats en ce qui concerne les formes spatio-temporelles.

Since ancient times, master builders have used arches to cover large spans in masonry structures. As a consequence, nowadays the safety assessment of these structural elements plays a fundamental role in the conservation of built cultural heritage. Due to their frequent occurrence, support displacements are one of the primary sources of damage for masonry arches. Among the potential causes of support displacements, slow-moving landslides have received very little attention from the scientific community. The present thesis is motivated by the observation of extensive and severe damage in the arches of historic masonry churches exposed to slow-moving landslides. These phenomena produce a combination of vertical and horizontal supports displacements, whose effect on the arch structural behaviour has never been thoroughly investigated in the literature, especially in the framework of large displacements. In view of the above, this thesis aims at providing a full understanding of the mechanics of masonry arches subjected to large support displacements, with special attention to inclined displacements. The methodology used to accomplish this goal included both experimental tests and numerical analyses on a segmental scaled dry-joint masonry arch subjected to different combinations of horizontal and vertical support displacements. The numerical simulations were carried out in the framework of large displacements using two different numerical approaches based on finite element (FE) and rigid block (RB) modelling. A micro-modelling strategy was adopted, where the arch was modelled as an assemblage of voussoirs, very stiff and infinitely resistant in compression in the FE model and rigid in the RB model, interacting at no-tension friction interfaces. Preliminary numerical simulations, aimed at designing the experimental set-up and gaining a first insight in the arch response, were carried out considering the arch as a rigid-no tension structure. To this aim, a very large value of interface normal stiffness was adopted in the FE model. A large experimental campaign was performed on a 1:10 small-scale model built as a dry-joint assemblage of voussoirs made of a bicomponent composite material. The results of the tests allowed, for the first time in the literature, to accurately assess the effect of the direction of the imposed support displacements on the arch response in the framework of large displacements. The comparison between numerical and experimental results showed that the numerical models were not able to accurately predict the experimental response. To investigate this discrepancy, a sensitivity analysis on the effect of the interface normal stiffness on the FE predictions was performed. The results demonstrated that the difference between numerical and experimental results could be attributed due to the imperfections, and resulting deformability, of the joints of the physical model. A strategy to include imperfections in the numerical modelling, consisting in calibrating the interface normal stiffness based on the experimental results, was thus proposed and validated by performing further FE simulations, whose results were in very good agreement with the experimental evidence. Finally, to investigate the effect of geometrical imperfections on the arch response, a further experimental test was performed on a physical model made of bicomponent composite voussoirs exhibiting more imperfections. The test was simulated using a FE calibrated model to further validate the strategy proposed to model imperfections. The comparison between the experimental results for the two tested physical models showed that imperfections play a fundamental role in the response of small-scale arches to large support displacements. Furthermore, reducing the interface normal stiffness with respect to the large value adopted to model rigid interfaces proved to be an effective strategy to simulate the amount of imperfections of the experimental models.
Desde la antigüedad, los maestros constructores han utilizado el arco como elemento estructural para salvar grandes luces en estructuras de mampostería. En consecuencia, para la conservación del patrimonio arquitectónico es hoy en día de fundamental importancia la correcta verificación estructural de este tipo de elementos. Se ha observado frecuentemente que el desplazamiento de los apoyos es una de las principales causas de daño en arcos de mampostería. De entre las distintas causas que pueden provocar dicho desplazamiento, el deslizamiento de tierras ha recibido poca atención por parte de la comunidad científica. La presente tesis encuentra su motivación en el daño extenso y severo observado en los arcos de las iglesias de mampostería ubicadas en zonas expuestas a deslizamiento de tierras. Este fenómeno produce una combinación de desplazamientos verticales y horizontales, cuyo efecto en el comportamiento estructural de los arcos no ha sido investigado en profundidad, especialmente en lo relativo a grandes desplazamientos. Esta tesis aspira a contribuir al conocimiento del comportamiento mecánico de los arcos de mampostería sometidos a grandes desplazamientos de apoyos, con especial atención a los desplazamientos inclinados. La metodología utilitzada para dicho fin incluye ensayos experimentales y análisis numéricos en un modelo a escala de un arco de mampostería a junta seca. El modelo fue ensayado bajo diferentes combinaciones de desplazamientos horizontales y verticales en uno de sus apoyos. La simulación numérica fue desarrollada en el marco de grandes desplazamientos usando dos métodos numéricos diferentes: un modelo de elementos finitos (FE) y un modelo de bloques rígidos (RB). Los modelos fueron concebidos como un conjunto de dovelas rígidas con infinita resistencia a compresión en el modelo FE y como dovelas infinitamente rígidas en el modelo RB. En ambos modelos la interfaz entre dovelas fue modelada sin resistencia a tracción. Con el objetivo de diseñar la configuración experimental y adquirir una comprensión inicial de la respuesta del arco, se llevaron a cabo simulaciones numéricas preliminares en las cuales se consideró al arco estudiado como una estructura rígida. Para ello en el modelo FE del arco, la rigidez normal de la interfaz fue inicialmente caracterizada con un valor muy elevado. La campaña experimental fue llevada a cabo en modelos a escala 1:10. Los resultados de los ensayos experimentales permitieron, por primera vez en la literatura, un análisis preciso del efecto que tiene la dirección del desplazamiento impuesto en el comportamiento del arco en marco de grandes desplazamientos. La comparaci ón entre los resultados numéricos y experimentales mostró que los modelos numéricos no eran capaces de capturar de manera precisa la respuesta experimental. Para investigar esta discrepancia, se realizó un estudio de sensibilidad relativo al efecto de la rigidez normal de la interfaz sobre las predicciones del modelo FE. Los resultados demostraron que la diferencia entre los resultados numéricos y experimentales se debía a las imperfecciones de las juntas del modelo físico. Como consecuencia, se propuso la inclusión de imperfecciones en el modelo numérico. Para ello se calibró la rigidez normal de la interfaz según los resultados experimentales y el modelo se validó con nuevas simulaciones. Finalmente, con el fin de investigar el efecto de las imperfecciones en la respuesta del arco, se llevó a cabo otro ensayo con el mismo modelo experimental, pero añadiéndole imperfecciones. El ensayo fue simulado con un modelo calibrado FE. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que las imperfecciones juegan un rol fundamental en la respuesta de arcos a pequeña escala con grandes desplazamientos en los apoyos. Además, la reducción de la rigidez normal de la interfaz con respecto al valor muy elevado inicialmente adoptado demostr ó ser una estrategia efectiva para simular las imperfecciones de los modelos experimentales.
Fin dall’antichità, i maestri costruttori hanno utilizzato gli archi per coprire grandi luci nelle strutture in muratura. Di conseguenza, ad oggi la valutazione della sicurezza di questi elementi strutturali gioca un ruolo fondamentale nella conservazione del patrimonio architettonico. A causa del loro frequente verificarsi, gli spostamenti degli appoggi sono una delle principali fonti di danno per gli archi in muratura. Tra le potenziali cause di questi spostamenti, le frane a cinematica lenta hanno ricevuto pochissima attenzione da parte della comunità scientifica. La presente tesi è motivata dall'osservazione di danni ingenti negli archi di chiese storiche in muratura interessate da frane a cinematica lenta. Questi fenomeni producono una combinazione di spostamenti verticali e orizzontali agli appoggi, il cui effetto sul comportamento strutturale dell'arco non è mai stato studiato a fondo in letteratura, soprattutto nell’ambito di grandi spostamenti. Alla luce di queste osservazioni, questa tesi si propone di fornire una piena comprensione della meccanica degli archi in muratura soggetti a grandi spostamenti degli appoggi, con particolare attenzione agli spostamenti inclinati. La metodologia utilizzata per raggiungere questo obiettivo ha incluso sia prove sperimentali che analisi numeriche su un arco ribassato in muratura di giunti a secco in piccola scala, in cui sono state applicate diverse combinazioni di spostamenti orizzontali e verticali in corrispondenza di un appoggio. Le simulazioni numeriche sono state eseguite nell’ambito dei gradi spostamenti utilizzando due diversi approcci numerici basati su una modellazione ad elementi finiti (FE) ed una modellazione a blocchi rigidi (RB). È stata adottata una strategia di micro-modellazione, in cui l'arco è stato modellato come un assemblaggio di blocchi, molto rigidi e infinitamente resistenti a compressione nel modello FE e infinitamente rigidi nel modello RB. In entrambi i modelli i blocchi erano collegati da interfacce senza resistenza a trazione. Simulazioni numeriche preliminari, finalizzate a progettare il set-up sperimentale e ad acquisire una prima conoscenza della risposta dell'arco, sono state eseguite considerando l'arco come una struttura rigida non resistente a trazione. A tal fine, nel modello FE è stato adottato un valore molto elevato di rigidezza normale delle interfacce. Un’ampia campagna sperimentale è stata eseguita su un modello in scala 1:10 costruito come un assemblaggio a secco di blocchi realizzati con un materiale composito bicomponente. I risultati delle prove sperimentali hanno permesso, per la prima volta in letteratura, di valutare con precisione l'effetto della direzione degli spostamenti imposti sulla risposta dell'arco nell’ambito dei grandi spostamenti. Il confronto tra i risultati numerici e sperimentali ha mostrato che i modelli numerici non erano in grado di cogliere in maniera accurata la risposta sperimentale, specialmente in termini di spostamento ultimo al collasso. Al fine di indagare le ragioni di questa discrepanza, è stata quindi eseguita un'analisi di sensitività relativa all’effetto della rigidezza normale delle interfacce sulle previsioni del modello FE. I risultati hanno dimostrato che la differenza tra risultati numerici e sperimentali poteva essere attribuita alle imperfezioni, e conseguente deformabilità, delle interfacce del modello fisico. Una strategia per includere le imperfezioni nella modellazione numerica, consistente nel calibrare la rigidezza normale delle interfacce sulla base dei risultati sperimentali, è stata quindi proposta e validata attraverso ulteriori simulazioni FE, i cui risultati si sono rivelati in ottimo accordo con le evidenze sperimentali. Infine, per indagare l'effetto delle imperfezioni geometriche sulla risposta dell'arco, è stata eseguita un’ulteriore prova sperimentale su un modello fisico costituito da blocchi dello stesso materiale composito bicomponente che presentavano però più imperfezioni. Al fine di validare ulteriormente la strategia proposta per modellare le imperfezioni, la prova sperimentale è stata simulata utilizzando un modello FE calibrato. Il confronto tra i risultati sperimentali per i due modelli fisici ha mostrato che le imperfezioni giocano un ruolo fondamentale nella risposta di archi in piccola scala a grandi spostamenti degli appoggi. Inoltre, ridurre la normale rigidezza dell'interfaccia rispetto al valore molto alto adottato per modellare interfacce rigide si è rivelata una strategia efficace per simulare la quantità di imperfezioni dei modelli sperimentali
Enginyeria de la construcció

ITC/USA 2010 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Sixth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 25-28, 2010 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California
Flight and weapons test ranges typically include multiple Telemetry Sites (TM Sites) that receive telemetry from platforms being flown on the range. Received telemetry is processed and forwarded by them to a Range Control Center (RCC) which is responsible for flight safety, and for delivering captured best source telemetry to those responsible for the platform being flown. When range equipment or operations are impaired in their ability to receive telemetry or process it correctly, expensive and/or one-of-a-kind platforms may have to be destroyed in flight to maintain safety margins, resulting in substantial monetary loss, valuable data loss, schedule disruption and potential safety concerns. Less severe telemetry disruptions can also result in missing or garbled telemetry data, negatively impacting platform test, analysis and design modification cycles. This paper provides a high level overview of a physics-compliant Range Test System (RTS) built upon Radio Frequency (RF) Channel Simulator technology. The system is useful in verifying range operation with most range equipment configured to function as in an actual mission. The system generates RF signals with appropriate RF link effects associated with range and range rate between the flight platform and multiple telemetry tracking stations. It also emulates flight and RF characteristics of the platform, to include signal parameters, antenna modeling, body shielding and accurate flight parameters. The system is useful for hardware, software, firmware and process testing, regression testing, and fault detection test, as well as range customer assurance, and range personnel training against nominal and worst-case conditions.

L'industrie aéronautique utilise désormais intensivement les matériaux composites car leurs caractéristiques sont très avantageuses. Dès lors, des méthodes de contrôle non destructif adaptées ont été développées. Parmi elles, l'utilisation des ondes de Lamb autorise un contrôle de plaques de grandes dimensions avec un nombre restreint de transducteurs, ce qui permet d'envisager, à terme, la réalisation de matériaux et structures « sensibles ». Dans le cadre de ces développements, le travail présenté consiste à réaliser et évaluer des transducteurs minces, constitués de plusieurs éléments piézo-électriques indépendants, appelés transducteurs en barrette. Dans une première partie, la propagation des ondes de Lamb dans les composites stratifiés de type carbone-époxyde est étudiée et les diverses méthodes de contrôle de ces matériaux sont présentées. La seconde partie est consacrée à la réalisation de deux couples de transducteurs mobiles. La nature des ondes générées est vérifiée par différentes méthodes et les performances sont comparées à celles de transducteurs à incidence oblique généralement utilisés. Le principe de fonctionnement des transducteurs est vérifié expérimentalement, des améliorations peuvent dès lors être proposées. Dans la troisième partie, l'instrumentation, en surface, de composites de différents drapages est réalisée de manière à évaluer les performances des transducteurs en barrette. Enfin, la dernière partie est consacrée au comportement passif des transducteurs lorsque les plaques sont soumises à des impacts de type basse vitesse auxquels sont particulièrement sensibles les composites étudiés. Les résultats expérimentaux soulignent la possibilité de détecter la nature endommageante de ces impacts par des techniques simples de traitement du signal. L’ensemble des résultats permet de dégager les perspectives d'utilisation des transducteurs en barrette
Nowadays, aerospace industries widely use composite materials because of their attractive characteristics. Therefore, suitable nondestructive evaluation methods have been developed. Among them, the use of Lamb waves allows the inspection of large plates with a small number of transducers, making it possible to consider eventually the design of smart materials and structures. Within these developments, the objective of this work is to design and evaluate thin transducers, consisting in several independent piezoelectric elements, called “array transducers”. In the first part, we study the propagation of Lamb waves in stratified carbon-epoxy composites, and the different methods available to inspect these materials are presented. In the second part, we design two couples of moveable transducers. The generated waves are identified using different methods and the efficiency of those transducers is compared with that of classical angled transducers. The principle on which the transducers work is verified experimentally, then improvements are proposed. In the third part, the surface of composites of different lay-ups is equipped with array transducers in order to evaluate their efficiency. The final part is devoted to an assessment of the passive behavior of the transducers when a plate is submitted to the low velocity impacts to which the composites under study are highly sensitive. The experimental results show beyond doubt that the impacts responsible for internal damage can be detected through simple signal processing. As is finally shown, all these results open up new prospects as regards the possible uses to which these array transducers can be put

Manufacture testing of digital integrated circuits is essential for high quality. However, exhaustive testing is impractical, and only a small subset of all possible test patterns (or test pattern pairs) may be applied. Thus, it is crucial to choose a subset that detects a high percentage of the defective parts and produces a low defective part level. Historically, test pattern generation has often been seen as a deterministic endeavor. Test sets are generated to deterministically ensure that a large percentage of the targeted faults are detected. However, many real defects do not behave like these faults, and a test set that detects them all may still miss many defects. Unfortunately, modeling all possible defects as faults is impractical. Thus, it is important to fortuitously detect unmodeled defects using high quality test sets. To maximize fortuitous detection, we do not assume a high correlation between faults and actual defects. Instead, we look at the common requirements for all defect detection. We deterministically maximize the observations of the leastobserved sites while randomly exciting the defects that may be present. The resulting decrease in defective part level is estimated using the MPGD model. This dissertation describes the MPGD defective part level model and shows how it can be used to predict defective part levels resulting from static defect detection. Unlike many other predictors, its predictions are a function of site observations, not fault coverage, and thus it is generally more accurate at high fault coverages. Furthermore, its components model the physical realities of site observation and defect excitation, and thus it can be used to give insight into better test generation strategies. Next, we investigate the effect of additional constraints on the fortuitous detection of defects-specifically, as we focus on detecting dynamic defects instead of static ones. We show that the quality of the randomness of excitation becomes increasingly important as defect complexity increases. We introduce a new metric, called excitation balance, to estimate the quality of the excitation, and we show how excitation balance relates to the constant τ in the MPGD model.

La restauration du patrimoine bâti est une exigence pour assurer sa pérennité. Le site archéologique Volubilis au Maroc, classé patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO depuis 1997, nécessite des travaux de restauration. L’objectif de cette thèse est de déterminer les causes de dégradation de ses pierres, et de proposer des mortiers pour la restauration de ses monuments. Dans un premier temps, une caractérisation multi-échelle a été réalisée sur les trois faciès de la calcarénite, la pierre la plus prépondérante du site. Elle a révélé que malgré la composition minéralogique similaire des trois faciès, ils présentent des propriétés hydriques, thermiques et mécaniques dissemblables et des durabilités contrastées vis-à-vis de la cristallisation de sel. Des essais non destructifs permettraient de distinguer les trois faciès en estimant leurs porosités et leurs coefficients de capillarité. Dans un second temps, une étude de diagnostic a révélé la présence l’halite et du gypse dans la majorité des pierres altérées par des détachements et des pertes de matière. Ces sels proviennent des mortiers avoisinants, utilisés pendant les interventions antérieures. De plus, l’altération des calcarénites non contaminées est vraisemblablement due à des contraintes thermiques. Dans la dernière partie, nous avons formulé des mortiers à base de chaux, du sable et de la poudre de brique à l’aide de la méthode des plans de mélanges. Cette démarche permettrait de déterminer des mortiers compatibles à la pierre calcarénite
The restoration of the built heritage is mandatory to ensure its sustainability. The archaeological site of Volubilis in Morocco, registered on the UNESCO World Heritage list since December 1997, requires restoration works. The main objective of this thesis is to determine the causes of stones’ deterioration and to propose mortars for restoration of its monuments. Firstly, a multi-scales characterization study was carried out on the three facies of the calcarenite, the main building stone in the site. It showed that despite their similar mineralogical composition, the three facies have dissimilar hydric, thermal and mechanical properties and they are quite different in terms of durability against salt crystallization. Besides, non-destructive testing could be used to distinguish the three facies by estimating their porosities and their coefficients of capillarity. Secondly, a diagnosis study revealed the presence of halite and gypsum in most deteriorated stones affected by detachment and loss of material. These salts originated from neighboring mortars, used during the previous interventions. In addition, the deterioration of uncontaminated calcarenites is likely due to thermal stresses. In the last part, we formulated mortars using lime, sand and the brick dust using the mixtures method. This approach would determine compatible mortars to the stone calcarenite

The optical turbulence, which creates perturbations of the wavefronts coming from the stars, is caused by small-scale fluctuations in the index of refraction of the atmosphere and is a problem for astronomers because it limits the maximum resolution of the ground-based telescopes. One way of identifying the best sites to build astronomical observatories, where the influence of the optical turbulence is as small as possible, is to use the standard meteorological parameters to get a first idea of the potential of a site. In the first part of this thesis the three sites on the Internal Antarctic Plateau that are the most interesting for astronomers (Dome A, Dome C and the South Pole) are investigated using the operational analyses of the ECMWF and a ranking of these three sites is presented. The second part of this thesis focuses on the ability of the mesoscale model Meso-NH to simulate the optical turbulence as well as the wind speed at Mt Graham (AZ, USA). A rich sample of measurements of the vertical distribution of the optical turbulence, the largest sample used in this type of study so far, is used to calibrate the Meso-NH model and to quantify its ability to simulate the optical turbulence. The measurements are distributed over different periods of the year thus making it possible to evaluate the performance of the model in different seasons. Both the vertical distribution of the optical turbulence and the astroclimatic parameters (seeing, wavefront coherence time and isoplanatic angle) are investigated.
Felaktigt tryckt som Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 708

En imagerie acoustique comme en contrôle non destructif, la qualité des images obtenues en utilisant des réseaux de transducteurs à une ou deux dimensions dépend en grande partie du diagramme de rayonnement d'un transducteur élémentaire. L'objectif poursuivi dans cette thèse est la modélisation numérique du fonctionnement de tels transducteurs haute fréquence rayonnant dans un milieu fluide, dans la perspective de créer un outil efficace d'aide à la conception. Plus particulièrement, cette thèse concerne la modélisation bi-dimensionnelle des transducteurs haute fréquence en Niobate de Lithium (linbo#3) par la méthode des éléments finis, à l'aide du code Atila. Dans un premier temps, l'analyse modale de transducteurs a permis de définir la coupe optimale qui doit être utilisée pour les applications évoquées. De plus, les courbes de Fabian obtenues pour cette coupe ont été comparées avec succès aux courbes expérimentales, démontrant la précision de l'approche, même pour un matériau à forte anisotropie. Ensuite, l'analyse harmonique de ces transducteurs en rayonnement a exigé le développement d’éléments finis rayonnants monopolaires et dipolaires, ainsi que la mise au point d'un algorithme original d'extrapolation permettant le calcul du diagramme de rayonnement en champ lointain à partir des valeurs du champ proche. Plusieurs applications ont permis de valider cette approche: l’étude du rayonnement d'un cylindre infini immergé dans un fluide illimité, puis l’étude du rayonnement d'une source plane de largeur finie montée dans un baffle rigide ou dans un baffle mou. Enfin, les diagrammes de rayonnement de barreaux de linbo#3, de largeur comparable à la longueur d'onde, ont alors été calculés et comparés, avec une excellente concordance, aux diagrammes expérimentaux. Ces différents développements permettront désormais l'optimisation d'un transducteur élémentaire, quel que soit le matériau. La prise en compte de l'amortisseur arrière et, éventuellement, des couches d'adaptation pourra être envisagée. Le couplage acoustique entre transducteurs voisins pourra aussi être étudié. La directivité réelle d'une antenne pourra ainsi être calculée de façon plus précise.

Akut- och psykiatriska avdelningar på länssjukhuset Ryhov i Jönköping använder sig av snabbtest för drogscreening med varierande kvalitet under de tider då analysinstrumentet Konelab Prime 30i inte är bemannat. Syftet med studien var att utvärdera sensitivitet och specificitet hos Multitest 15 från tillverkaren Acro Biotech, och jämföra resultat från två olika avläsningstider. Antalet urinprover som samlades in för analys uppgick till 272. Positiva och negativa urinprover med drogkoncentrationer inom ±50% från varje drogs gränsvärde insamlades. Senare inkluderades drogkoncentrationer utanför detta intervall. Proverna testades med Multitest 15 vid laboratoriet för klinisk kemi på Ryhov efter utförd analys med Konelab Prime 30i, vars analysresultat utgjorde referens. De droger som testades var amfetamin, metamfetamin, ecstasy, bensodiazepiner, buprenorfin, kokain, metadon, morfin, THC, oxykodon och tramadol. För alla droger sammantaget var sensitiviteten 86,7% - 100%, specificiteten 33,3% - 100% och träffsäkerheten 71,4% - 94,7%. Provurvalet inom intervallet ±50% från gränsvärdet var begränsat, vilket avsevärt påverkat dessa beräkningar, och Konelab Prime 30i använder semikvantitativ metod vilken endast ger approximativa koncentrationsvärden som referens.
The emergency and psychiatric wards on the county hospital Ryhov in Jönköping utilize onsite drug testing with varying quality during evenings and night-time when no staff are operating the chemistry analyzer Konelab Prime 30i. The aim of the study is to evaluate the performance of sensitivity and specificity of Acro Biotech Multitest 15 and comparing results from two different reading-times. The number of urine samples collected for analysis was 272. Positive and negative urine samples with drug concentrations within ± 50% from cut-off were collected. Later, concentrations outside of this range was included. The samples were tested with Multitest 15 at the laboratory for clinical chemistry at Ryhov after analysis with Konelab Prime 30i providing reference results. The drugs tested were amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, benzodiazepines, buprenorphine, cocaine, methadone, morphine, THC, oxycodone and tramadol. All drugs included, the sensitivity was 86.7% - 100%, the specificity 33% - 100% and the accuracy 71.4% - 94.7%. The sample selection within the range ±50% from the cut-off value was limited, which significantly affected these calculations, and Konelab Prime 30i uses a semi-quantitative method only providing approximate concentration values for reference.

Avec l’avènement de la prochaine génération de télescope de plus de 30m de diamètre, il devient primordial de réduire le coût des observations et d’améliorer leur rendement scientifique. De plus il est essentiel de construire ces instruments sur des sites disposant d’une qualité optique maximale. J’ai donc essayé, au cours de ma thèse, de développer un outil fiable, facile d’utilisation et économique permettant de satisfaire ces exigences. J’ai donc utilisé le modèle de prévision météorologique Weather Research and Forecasting et le modèle de calcul de la turbulence optique Trinquet-Vernin pour prédire, plusieurs heures à l’avance, les conditions optiques du ciel tout au long de la nuit. Cette information permettrait d’améliorer la gestion du programme d’observation, appelée "flexible scheduling", et ainsi de réduire les pertes dues à la variation des conditions atmosphériques. Les résultats obtenus et les améliorations apportées au modèle WRF-TV lui permettent de présenter un bon accord entre les mesures et les prévisions ce qui est prometteur pour une utilisation réelle. Au delà de cette gestion, nous avons voulu créer un moyen d’améliorer la recherche et le test de sites astronomiquement intéressants. Nous avons donc définit un paramètre de qualité qui prend en compte les conditions météorologiques et optiques. Ce paramètre a été testé au-dessus de l’île de La Palma aux Canaries et a montré que l’Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos est situé au meilleur emplacement de l’île. Enfin nous avons créé une routine d’automatisation du modèle WRF-TV afin d’avoir un outil opérationnel fonctionnant de manière autonome
With the next generation of extremely large telescope having mirror with a diameter larger than 30m, it becomes essential to reduce the cost of observations and to improve their scientific efficiency. Moreover it is fundamental to build these huge infrastructures in location having the best possible optical quality. The purpose of my thesis is to bring a solution easier and more economical than before. I used the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the Trinquet-Vernin parametrization, which computes the values of the optical turbulence, to forecast a couple of hours in advance the evolution of the sky optical quality along the coming night. This information would improve the management of observation program, called "flexible scheduling", and thereby reduce losses due to the atmospheric variations. Our results and improvements allow the model us WRF-TV to have a good agreement between previsions and in-situ measurements in different sites, which is promising for a real use in an observatory. Beyond the flexible scheduling, we wanted to create a tool to improve the search for new sites or site testing for already existing sites. Therefore we defined a quality parameter which takes into account meteorological conditions (wind, humidity, precipitable water vapor) and optical conditions (seeing, coherence time, isoplanatic angle). This parameter has been tested above La Palma in Canary island showing that the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos is located close to the best possible location of the island. Finally we created an automated program to use WRF-TV model in order to have an operational tool working routinely

Les enceintes de confinement des centrales nucléaires sont conçues pour assurer des propriétés de confinement et d'étanchéité précises en situations d'usage normal et en cas d'accident nucléaire, afin d'éviter la dissémination de radioéléments dans l'environnement. Ces enceintes étant construites en béton, la maîtrise de l'évaluation de la perméabilité du béton et de ses évolutions sous contraintes permettrait d'évaluer les débits de fuite susceptibles d'intervenir dans le temps sous certaines sollicitations. Jusqu'aujourd'hui, il existe plusieurs techniques de mesure de la perméabilité et ces techniques aboutissent à des résultats différents pour une même éprouvette de béton. La première étude que nous avons réalisée a été donc de proposer une normalisation de la mesure de la perméabilité : cette normalisation a abouti à la détermination d'une perméabilité caractéristique du béton et indépendante de la technique de mesure. Parallèlement à cette démarche, nous avons aussi proposé d'évaluer la perméabilité du béton à l'aide d'observables du Contrôle Non Destructif comme la permittivité et la résistivité électrique. Les résultats obtenus montrent la possibilité d'estimer la perméabilité dans les conditions du béton sur site. La deuxième étude réalisée est relative à la maîtrise de la perméabilité sous contraintes. Au laboratoire, nous avons étudié la perméabilité d'éprouvettes en béton de différentes tailles dans diverses conditions de séchage, de sollicitation thermique, d'endommagements mécanique et couplés. Nous avons ainsi pu établir des modèles perméabilité-endommagements en fonction de chaque source d'endommagement. La troisième étude réalisé porte sur la transposition des résultats de laboratoire au site, à travers l'utilisation de maquette d'enceinte nucléaire de dimensions plus importantes et représentatives de l'ouvrage réel (VeRCoRs à l'échelle 1/3). L'ensemble des résultats des deux premières études ont été mise à contribution et ont permis d'aboutir à des calculs des débits de fuite et des Temps d'Etablissement du Régime Permanent d'Ecoulement cohérents avec les hypothèses de calculs
The building reactor of the nuclear power plants are designed to provide precise containment and sealing properties in normal use situations and in the event of a nuclear accident, to prevent the spread of radioelements in the environment. Since these enclosures are made of concrete, controlling the evaluation of the permeability of concrete and its evolutions under stress would make it possible to evaluate the leakage rates that may occur over time under certain conditions. Until today, there are several techniques for measuring permeability and these techniques lead to different results for the same concrete specimen. The first study we carried out was therefore to propose a standardization of the permeability measurement: this standardization resulted in the determination of a characteristic permeability of concrete and independent of the measurement technique. In parallel with this approach, we also proposed to evaluate the permeability of concrete using observables from Non-Destructive Testing such as permittivity and electrical resistivity. The results obtained show the possibility of estimating the permeability under concrete conditions on site. The second study carried out relates to the control of the permeability under constraints. In the laboratory, we investigated the permeability of concrete specimens of different sizes under various conditions of drying, thermal stress, mechanical and coupled damage. We could establish permeability-damage models according to each source of damage. The third study carried out relates to the transposition from laboratory results to the site, using nuclear power plants mock-up of larger dimensions and representative of the actual structure (VeRCoRs at scale 1/3). All the results of the first two studies have been used and have led to calculations of leak rates and Time to Reach Steady State (TRSS) consistent with the calculation assumptions

A new type of computer-controlled instrument has been developed to measure microviscoelastic properties of thin materials. It can independently control and measure indentation loads and depths in situ revealing information about material creep and relaxation. Sample and indenter positions are measured with a specially designed polarization interferometer. Indenter loadings can be varied between 0.5 and 10 grams and held constant to ±41 mg. The resulting indentation depths can be measured in situ to ±1.2 nm. The load required to maintain constant indentation depths from 0.1 to 5.0 microns can be measured in situ to ±3.3 mg and the depth held constant to ±15 nm.