The Applicability of Renewable Raw Materials for the Professional Horticulture—Ecosystem Services,Profitability and Refinement

This preliminary study shows an innovative concept of searching for peat substitutes on basis of renewable raw materials considering the cultivation in extensive land use in Lower Saxony (Germany). Selecting suitable raw material plants against the background of ecological, social and economic issues followed by testing series including those materials should lead on to reliable results for a planned transition through a spatial analysis of potential areas for cultivation with a specific attention on wetlands. Thereby this short report illustrates the concept of the study as well as chosen interim results and it is to be understood as the first paper of a mini-series.

Arc-length technique for nonlinear finite element analysis

Nonlinear solution of reinforced concrete structures, particularly complete load-deflection response, requires tracing of the equilibrium path and proper treatment of the limit and bifurcation points. In this regard, ordinary solution techniques lead to instability near the limit points and also have problems in case of snap-through and snap-back. Thus they fail to predict the complete load-displacement response. The arc-length method serves the purpose well in principle, received wide acceptance in finite element analysis, and has been used extensively. However modifications to the basic idea are vital to meet the particular needs of the analysis. This paper reviews some of the recent developments of the method in the last two decades, with particular emphasis on nonlinear finite element analysis of reinforced concrete structures.