A DECISION-MAKING FRAMEWORK FOR VEGETATED ROOFING SYSTEM SELECTION

Design frequently involves making tradeoffs to obtain the“optimal”solution to a design problem,often using intuition or past experience as a guide.Since vegetated roofing is a relatively complex and comparatively new technology to many practitioners,a rational,explicit method to help organize and rank the tradeoffs made during the design process is needed.This research comprises the creation of a framework diagramming the decision process involved in the selection of vegetated roofi ng systems.Through literature review,case studies and interviews with experts,the available knowledge is captured and organized to determine the critical parameters affecting design decisions.Six important evaluative categories are identifi ed and parameters within these categories are addressed in the context of a decision support system for green roof designers.A summation of the total importance of the advantages represented by each alternative is used to determine the most feasible green roof system for a particular project.The framework is demonstrated and compared with green roof designers’decision-making processes and conclusions are drawn regarding its effectiveness.

Fuzzy inference system using genetic algorithm and pattern search for predicting roof fall rate in underground coal mines

One of the most dangerous safety hazard in underground coal mines is roof falls during retreat mining.Roof falls may cause life-threatening and non-fatal injuries to miners and impede mining and transportation operations.As a result,a reliable roof fall prediction model is essential to tackle such challenges.Different parameters that substantially impact roof falls are ill-defined and intangible,making this an uncertain and challenging research issue.The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health assembled a national database of roof performance from 37 coal mines to explore the factors contributing to roof falls.Data acquired for 37 mines is limited due to several restrictions,which increased the likelihood of incompleteness.Fuzzy logic is a technique for coping with ambiguity,incompleteness,and uncertainty.Therefore,In this paper,the fuzzy inference method is presented,which employs a genetic algorithm to create fuzzy rules based on 109 records of roof fall data and pattern search to refine the membership functions of parameters.The performance of the deployed model is evaluated using statistical measures such as the Root-Mean-Square Error,Mean-Absolute-Error,and coefficient of determination(R_(2)).Based on these criteria,the suggested model outperforms the existing models to precisely predict roof fall rates using fewer fuzzy rules.

A literature review on the improvement strategies of passive design for the roofing system of the modern house in a hot and humid climate region

Increase of indoor temperature compared with outdoor temperature is a major concern in modern house design. Occupants suffer from this uncomfortable condition because of overheating indoor temperature. Poor passive design causes heat to be trapped, which influences the rise in indoor temperature. The upper part, which covers the area of the roof, is the most critical part of the house that is exposed to heat caused by high solar radiation and high emissivity levels. During daytime, the roof accumulates heat, which increases the indoor temperature and affects the comfort level of the occupants. To maintain the indoor temperature within the comfort level, most house designs usually depend on mechanical means by using fans or air conditioning systems. The dependence on a mechanical ventilation system could lead to additional costs for its installation, operation, and maintenance. Thus, this study concentrates on reviews on passive design and suggests recommendations for future developments. New proposals or strategies are proposed to improve the current passive design through ventilated and cool roof systems. It is possible to achieve the comfort level inside a house throughout the day by reducing the transmitted heat into the indoor environment and eliminating the internal hot air. These recommendations could become attractive strategies in providing a comfortable indoor temperature to the occupants as well as in minimizing energy consumption.

Instability mechanism of mining roadway passing through fault at different angles in kilometre-deep mine and control measures of roof cutting and NPR cables

The angle α between the fault strike and the axial direction of the roadway produces different damage characteristics. In this paper, the research methodology includes theoretical analyses, numerical simulations and field experiments in the context of the Daqiang coal mine located in Shenyang, China. The stability control countermeasure of "pre-splitting cutting roof + NPR anchor cable"(PSCR-NPR) is simultaneously proposed. According to the different deformation characteristics of the roadway, the faults are innovatively classified into three types, with α of type I being 0°-30°, α of type II being 30°-60°, and α of type III being 60°-90°. The full-cycle stress evolution paths during mining roadway traverses across different types of faults are investigated by numerical simulation. Different pinch angles α lead to high stress concentration areas at different locations in the surrounding rock. The non-uniform stress field formed in the shallow surrounding rock is an important reason for the instability of the roadway. The pre-cracked cut top shifted the high stress region to the deep rock mass and formed a low stress region in the shallow rock mass. The high prestressing NPR anchor cable transforms the non-uniform stress field of the shallow surrounding rock into a uniform stress field. PSCR-NPR is applied in the fault-through roadway of Daqiang mine. The low stress area of the surrounding rock was enlarged by 3-7 times, and the cumulative convergence was reduced by 45%-50%. It provides a reference for the stability control of the deep fault-through mining roadway.

Estimating runoff coefficient for quantity assessment of roof rainwater harvesting system

In order to accurately estimate the runoff coefficient for the quantity assessment of the roof rainwater harvesting system RRHS great differences in the value of event runoff coefficient ψERC were observed by field monitoring under different roof types roof slope and material and diverse rainfall distributions rainfall depth and intensity in three years 2010 to 2012 in Handan Hebei China.The results indicate that the distribution of ψERC is more highly correlated with the event rainfall depth than other factors. The relationship between ψERC and the rainfall depth can be well represented by the piecewise linear function.Further based on the daily rainfall data over the period from 1960 to 2008 the value of the annual runoff coefficient ψARC is calculated. Although the total rainfall depth in each year is different ψARC in Handan can be considered as a constant 0.62 approximately. The results can be used for the quantity assessment and performance analysis of the RRHS.

Application of Automatic Water-saving Irrigation System in Roof Gardens

Based on the special site conditions of roof gardens,it was put forward to introduce automatic water-saving irrigation system into the roof garden constructions,such as the solar energy and microcomputer auto water-saving irrigation system,aiming to solve the photosynthetic noon break phenomenon of plants and relieve the stress from high temperature.

Deformation mechanism and roof pre-splitting control technology of gob-side entry in thick hard main roof full-mechanized longwall caving panel

This paper explores the deformation mechanism and control technology of roof pre-splitting for gob-side entries in hard roof full-mechanized longwall caving panel(LTCC).The investigation utilizes a comprehensive approach that integrates field monitoring,theoretical analysis,and numerical simulation.Theoretical analysis has illuminated the influence of the length of the lateral cantilever beam of the main roof(LCBM)above the roadway on the stability of the gob-side entry behind the panel.Numerical simulations have further revealed that the longer LCBM results in heightened vertical stress within the coal pillar,developed cracks around the roadway,and more pronounced damage to the roadway.Moreover,numerical simulations also demonstrate the potential of roof pre-splitting technology in optimizing the fracture position of the hard roof.This technology significantly reduces the length of the LCBM,thereby alleviating stress concentration in the coal pillars and integrated coal rib while minimizing the destruction of the gob-side entry.Therefore,this manuscript first proposes the use of roof pre-splitting technology to control roadway deformation,and automatically retain the entry within a hard roof LTCC panel.Field implementation has demonstrated that the proposed automatically retained entry by roof pre-splitting technology effectively reduces gob-side entry deformation and achieves automatically retained entry.

Ground response and failure mechanism of gob-side entry by roof cutting with hard main roof

This study is the result of long-term efforts of the authors’team to assess ground response of gob-side entry by roof cutting(GSERC)with hard main roof,aiming at scientific control for GSERC deformation.A comprehensive field measurement program was conducted to determine entry deformation,roof fracture zone,and anchor bolt(cable)loading.The results indicate that GSERC deformation presents asymmetric characteristics.The maximum convergence near roof cutting side is 458 mm during the primary use process and 1120 mm during the secondary reuse process.The entry deformation is closely associated with the primary development stage,primary use stage,and secondary reuse stage.The key block movement of roof cutting structure,a complex stress environment,and a mismatch in the supporting design scheme are the failure mechanism of GSERC.A controlling ideology for mining states,including regional and stage divisions,was proposed.Both dynamic and permanent support schemes have been implemented in the field.Engineering practice results indicate that the new support scheme can efficiently ensure long-term entry safety and could be a reliable approach for other engineering practices.

Influencing factors analysis of hard limestone reformation and strength weakening under acidic effect

Roof disaster has always been an important factor restricting coal mine safety production.Acidic effect can reform the rock mass structure to weaken the macroscopic strength characteristics,which is an effective way to control the hard limestone roof.In this study,the effects of various factors on the reaction characteristics and mechanical properties of limestone were analyzed.The results show that the acid with stronger hydrogen production capacity after ionization(pK_(a)<0)has more prominent damage to the mineral grains of limestone.When pKa increases from−8.00 to 15.70,uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of limestone increase by 117.22%and 75.98%.The influence of acid concentration is manifested in the dissolution behavior of mineral crystals,the crystal defects caused by large-scale acid action will lead to the deterioration of limestone strength,and the strength after 15%concentration reformation can be reduced by 59.42%.The effect of acidification time on limestone has stages and is the most obvious in the initial metathesis reaction stage(within 60 min).The key to the strength damage of acidified limestone is the participation of hydrogen ions in the reaction system.Based on the analytic hierarchy process method,the influence weights of acid type,acid concentration and acidification time on strength are 24.30%,59.54% and 16.16%,respectively.The research results provide theoretical support for the acidification control of hard limestone roofs in coal mines.

Assessment and control of the mine tremor disaster induced by the energy accumulation and dispersion of thick-hard roofs

In order to solve the problem that current theory models cannot accurately describe thick-hard roof(THR)elastic energy and assess the mine tremor disasters,a theoretical method,a Timoshenko beam theory on Winkler foundation was adopted to establish the THR’s periodic breaking model.The superposition principle was used for this complex model to derive the calculation formulas of the elastic energy and impact load on hydraulic supports.Then,the influence of roof thickness h,cantilever length L_(1),and load q on THR’s elastic energy and impact load was analyzed.And,the effect of mine tremor disasters was assessed.Finally,it is revealed that:(1)The THR’s elastic energy U exhibits power-law variations,with the fitted relationships U=0.0096L_(1)^(3.5866^),U=5943.9h^(-1.935),and U=21.049q^(2).(2)The impact load on hydraulic supports F_(ZJ) increases linearly with an increase in the cantilever length,thickness,and applied load.The fitted relationships are F_(ZJ)=1067.3L_(1)+6361.1,F_(ZJ)=125.89h+15100,and F_(ZJ)=10420q+3912.6.(3)Ground hydraulic fracturing and liquid explosive deep-hole blasting techniques effectively reduce the THR’s cantilever length at periodic breakages,thus eliminating mine tremor disasters.

Physical and numerical investigations of target stratum selection for ground hydraulic fracturing of multiple hard roofs

Ground hydraulic fracturing plays a crucial role in controlling the far-field hard roof,making it imperative to identify the most suitable target stratum for effective control.Physical experiments are conducted based on engineering properties to simulate the gradual collapse of the roof during longwall top coal caving(LTCC).A numerical model is established using the material point method(MPM)and the strain-softening damage constitutive model according to the structure of the physical model.Numerical simulations are conducted to analyze the LTCC process under different hard roofs for ground hydraulic fracturing.The results show that ground hydraulic fracturing releases the energy and stress of the target stratum,resulting in a substantial lag in the fracturing of the overburden before collapse occurs in the hydraulic fracturing stratum.Ground hydraulic fracturing of a low hard roof reduces the lag effect of hydraulic fractures,dissipates the energy consumed by the fracture of the hard roof,and reduces the abutment stress.Therefore,it is advisable to prioritize the selection of the lower hard roof as the target stratum.

Fracture propagation and evolution law of indirect fracturing in the roof of broken soft coal seams

Indirect fracturing in the roof of broken soft coal seams has been demonstrated to be a feasible technology.In this work,the No.5 coal seam in the Hancheng block was taken as the research object.Based on the findings of true triaxial hydraulic fracturing experiments and field pilot under this technology and the cohesive element method,a 3D numerical model of indirect fracturing in the roof of broken soft coal seams was established,the fracture morphology propagation and evolution law under different conditions was investigated,and analysis of main controlling factors of fracture parameters was conducted with the combination weight method,which was based on grey incidence,analytic hierarchy process and entropy weight method.The results show that“士”-shaped fractures,T-shaped fractures,cross fractures,H-shaped fractures,and“干”-shaped fractures dominated by horizontal fractures were formed.Different parameter combinations can form different fracture morphologies.When the coal seam permeability is lower and the minimum horizontal principal stress difference between layers and fracturing fluid injection rate are both larger,it tends to form“士”-shaped fractures.When the coal seam permeability and minimum horizontal principal stress between layers and perforation position are moderate,cross fractures are easily generated.Different fracture parameters have different main controlling factors.Engineering factors of perforation location,fracturing fluid injection rate and viscosity are the dominant factors of hydraulic fracture shape parameters.This study can provide a reference for the design of indirect fracturing in the roof of broken soft coal seams.

Bearing mechanism of roof and rib support structure in automatically formed roadway and its support design method

Non-pillar mining technology with automatically formed roadway is a new mining method without coal pillar reservation and roadway excavation.The stability control of automatically formed roadway is the key to the successful application of the new method.In order to realize the stability control of the roadway surrounding rock,the mechanical model of the roof and rib support structure is established,and the influence mechanism of the automatically formed roadway parameters on the compound force is revealed.On this basis,the roof and rib support structure technology of confined lightweight concrete is proposed,and its mechanical tests under different eccentricity are carried out.The results show that the bearing capacity of confined lightweight concrete specimens is basically the same as that of ordinary confined concrete specimens.The bearing capacity of confined lightweight concrete specimens under different eccentricities is 1.95 times higher than those of U-shaped steel specimens.By comparing the test results with the theoretical calculated results of the confined concrete,the calculation method of the bearing capacity for the confined lightweight concrete structure is selected.The design method of confined lightweight concrete support structure is established,and is successfully applied in the extra-large mine,Ningtiaota Coal Mine,China.

Combined blasting for protection of gob-side roadway with thick and hard roof

The deformation control of surrounding rock in gobside roadway with thick and hard roof poses a significant challenge to the safety and efficiency of coal mining.To address this issue,a novel approach combining directional and non-directional blasting techniques,known as combined blasting,was proposed.This study focuses on the experimental investigation of the proposed method in the 122108 working face in Caojiatan Coal Mine as the engineering background.The initial phase of the study involves physical model experiments to reveal the underlying mechanisms of combined blasting for protecting gob-side roadway with thick and hard roof.The results demonstrate that this approach effectively accelerates the collapse of thick and hard roofs,enhances the fragmentation and expansion coefficient of gangue,facilitates the filling of the goaf with gangue,and provides support to the overlying strata,thus reducing the subsidence of the overlying strata above the goaf.Additionally,the method involves cutting the main roof into shorter beams to decrease the stress and disrupt stress transmission pathways.Subsequent numerical simulations were conducted to corroborate the findings of the physical model experiments,thus validating the accuracy of the experimental results.Furthermore,field engineering experiments were performed,affirming the efficacy of the combined blasting method in mitigating the deformation of surrounding rock and achieving the desired protection of the gob-side roadway.

Irrigation and Thermal Buffering Using Mathematical Modeling

Two methods of irrigation,drip,and sprinkler were studied to determine the response of the Javits green roof to irrigation.The control study was dry unirrigated plots.Drip irrigation consisted of irrigation tubes running through the green roof that would water the soil throughout and sprinkler irrigation used a sprinkler system to irrigate the green roof from above.In all cases,the irrigated roofs had increased the soil moisture,reduced temperatures of both the upper and lower surfaces,reduced growing medium temperatures and reduced air temperatures above the green roof relative to the unirrigated roof.The buffered temperature fluctuations were also studied via air conditioner energy consumption.There was a 28%reduction in air conditioner energy consumption and a 33%reduction in overall energy consumption between dry and irrigated plots.Values of thermal resistance or S were determined for accuracy and for this study,there was little change which is ideal.A series of infra-red and thermal probe measurements were used to determine temperatures in the air and sedum.It was determined that the sprinkler irrigation did a better job than the drip irrigation in keeping cooler temperatures within the green roof.A Mann-Whitney U test was performed to verify the variation in moisture temperatures buffering energy consumption.By getting a p-value<0.05,it indicates that the model is accurate for prediction and medium temperatures were statistically different.

Holographic Goggles Optical System

Based on the holographic theory, a pair of reflective holographic lenses have been utilized with an aim to improve the optical properties of night vision goggles. The aberration distribution of the holographic lens has been confirmed by experiments and compensated by a conventional symmetrical spherical system. Resulting data of the whole optical system are given.

Experimental Assessment of the Thermal Performance of Two Corrugated Metal Roofs

This experimental study is a contribution to the search for solutions to reduce indoor heat gain through sheet metal roofing in hot weather. It has evaluated the thermal impact of two different sheet metal roofs inside of two identical test buildings in sunny weather and cloudy weather conditions. Test building 1 has a single sheet corrugated roof and the building 2 is covered with roof made from top to bottom with corrugated sheet metal, a 12 mm thick serpentine copper tube in which water is circulated, a sheet of aluminium foil acting as a heat reflector, a 4 cm thick polystyrene panel and a 1.5 cm thick plywood. A maximum reduction of 15.1˚C in the temperature of the inner face of the test Building 2 roof was obtained comparatively to the temperature of the inner face of the test Building 1 roof consisting of a single sheet of metal at the warmest hours. In addition, the simple corrugated sheet metal roof of the test building generates high and varied temperatures inside the building. Whereas the proposed heat recovery roof favours low and relatively uniform temperatures inside the building. The proposed sheet metal roof construction technique is very effective in reducing the heat gain through the roof considerably;thus improving the thermal comfort inside sheet metal roofed dwellings. Hot water has been produced by recovering heat from the metal sheet of the roof of test building 2. The temperature of the hot water produced reached of 39˚C. This study could be also an alternative for the reduction of energy consumption due to the use of mechanical means for cooling of sheet metal roofed houses and the reduction of the use of fossil fuels for domestic hot water production.

Experimental Study of the Thermal Behavior of a Bioclimatic Building Prototype in a Sahelian Zone

Buildings constructed with modern materials (cement blocks, sheet metal, reinforced concrete, etc.) in the Sahelian zone often generate excessive electricity consumption and consequently very high electricity bills. This study is a contribution to the development of new building types based on the principle of bioclimatic construction. The aim is to find materials suited to the Sahelian climate and improve thermal comfort. To this end, an experimental study of the hygrothermal behavior of a bioclimatic building prototype with a domed roof is being carried out. Site meteorological data, air temperature and relative humidity of the building’s internal environment were measured for three climatic seasons in Burkina Faso. The data acquisition system consists of thermocouples, solarimeters and humidity meters, and the data are processed using Excel and Origin Pro software. The results show that, despite the high temperature values (between 36˚C and 39˚C) of the internal environment measured in the hot season, good thermal performance is achieved, in particular an average phase shift of 7.17 h and an average damping of 10.81˚C. The dome-roofed building could therefore contribute to limiting heat transmission to the building interior, improving thermal comfort all year round. Analysis of humidity profiles shows that indoor humidity varies between 66% and 80% for the September period, and between 44% and 69% for the January period. The high values of internal ambient humidity could be reduced by very good ventilation of the building. This study shows that the proposed bioclimatic building prototype with domed roof could be integrated into the Sahelian habitat.

第二次青藏科考为实现人与自然和谐共生贡献力量

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,often referred to as the"roof of the world",the"Asian water tower,"and the"third pole of the earth"is renowned for its unique geographical features.

Control mechanism of a cable truss system for stability of roadways within thick coal seams

Cable truss systems have been widely applied in roadways with complicated conditions, such as the large cross-sections of deep wells, and high tectonic stress. However, they are rarely applied to roadways with extremely thick coal seams because the control mechanism of the system for the deformation of the roof and the separation between coal rock segments is not completely understood. By using the relationship between the support system and the roof strata, a mechanical model was established to calculate the deformation of the roof in a thick coal seam with bedding separation under different support conditions: with an anchor truss support and without support. On this basis, the research was used to deduce a method for computing the minimum pre-tightening forces in the anchor truss, the maximum amounts of subsidence and separation with, and without, anchor truss support under the roof, and the maximum subsidence and the decreasing amounts of the separation before and after adopting the anchor truss. Additionally, mechanical relationships between the minimum pre-tightening force and the anchoring force in the anchor were analyzed. By taking a typical roadway with thick coal roof as an example, the theoretical results mentioned above were applied in the analysis and testing of a roof supporting project in a roadway field to verify the accuracy of the theory: favorable experimental results were achieved. In addition, the relationships among other parameters were analyzed, including the minimum pre-tightening forces applied by the anchor truss, the angle of inclination of the anchor cable, and the array pitch. Meanwhile, the changing characteristics of the amounts of roof separation and subsidence with key parameters of the support system(such as array pitch, pre-tightening force, and inclination angle) were also analyzed. The research results revealed the acting mechanism of the anchor truss in control of roadway stability with a thick coal seam, providing a theoretical basis of its application in coal mining.