Housing is dynamic. It changes with time. A sample of 60 houses in the Shagari Low Cost housing scheme in Kanra Namoda was studied in order to find out the characteristics of changes made by the users. Physical observ...Housing is dynamic. It changes with time. A sample of 60 houses in the Shagari Low Cost housing scheme in Kanra Namoda was studied in order to find out the characteristics of changes made by the users. Physical observations and questionnaires were used as the major instruments of data collection. The results show that 91% of occupants have made various changes to the original designs without the help of professional designers, and some of the changes have completely transformed the outlook of the houses in locational planning, materials and form. This implies that a post architectural design phase exists, suggesting that the design process can be divided into two phases; the initial design by the architect and the subsequent redesign by the user. The paper presents preliminary findings on the general characteristics of user redesign and concludes that a clear process can be established. The architectural design process can, therefore, be expanded to include the user redesign process in order to reflect the entire lifespan of the building.展开更多
The phenomenon of cyclic hardening is observed in fatigue tests of modified asphalt controlled by low strain/stress level and it is not clear how the phenomenon affects the fatigue properties of binders. The special t...The phenomenon of cyclic hardening is observed in fatigue tests of modified asphalt controlled by low strain/stress level and it is not clear how the phenomenon affects the fatigue properties of binders. The special time weep tests were performed to investigate the point. Tests results indicate that the cyclic hardening is caused by the rearrangement of molecules in binders, and it can make the inner structure of binders getting stable and increase the fatigue properties of asphalt binders. But fatigue damage occurs when fatigue tests start, no matter the phenomenon of cyclic hardening happens or not. If the controlled load is low, the effect of rearrangement of molecules on material is beyond the effect of fatigue damage so that the cyclic hardening can be observed. When the load conditions get worse, the effect of slight fatigue damages produced in hardening stage will show.展开更多
Large-scale national disasters have recently occurred worldwide, causing tremendous damage to life and property. Therefore, urban safety has become a critical issue, and disaster prevention and mitigation are also con...Large-scale national disasters have recently occurred worldwide, causing tremendous damage to life and property. Therefore, urban safety has become a critical issue, and disaster prevention and mitigation are also considered in urban development and infrastructure construction. When earthquake disasters occur, road networks play major roles in rescue activity for responding to urban damage. The urban-disaster prevention spatial system attempts to mitigate hazards by considering shelters, routes for evacuation and rescue and necessary logistics. A literature review shows numerous studies related to a disaster-prevention shelter survey before or after hazards, however, they are less concerned with the reliability of shelter evaluation. This study assesses shelter evaluation by considering road networks. The authors construct 10 selected indices individually related to road networks. Three integrated composite indices are established to explain planned-shelter risks using the Arc GIS diagram of a spatial concept of an urban-planning review process. The relationship between shelters and evacuation/rescue routes is important for disaster-prevention planning. This survey investigates the factors of road networks, fire engine rescue routes, fire station location and road/population density for vulnerability evaluations.展开更多
文摘Housing is dynamic. It changes with time. A sample of 60 houses in the Shagari Low Cost housing scheme in Kanra Namoda was studied in order to find out the characteristics of changes made by the users. Physical observations and questionnaires were used as the major instruments of data collection. The results show that 91% of occupants have made various changes to the original designs without the help of professional designers, and some of the changes have completely transformed the outlook of the houses in locational planning, materials and form. This implies that a post architectural design phase exists, suggesting that the design process can be divided into two phases; the initial design by the architect and the subsequent redesign by the user. The paper presents preliminary findings on the general characteristics of user redesign and concludes that a clear process can be established. The architectural design process can, therefore, be expanded to include the user redesign process in order to reflect the entire lifespan of the building.
文摘The phenomenon of cyclic hardening is observed in fatigue tests of modified asphalt controlled by low strain/stress level and it is not clear how the phenomenon affects the fatigue properties of binders. The special time weep tests were performed to investigate the point. Tests results indicate that the cyclic hardening is caused by the rearrangement of molecules in binders, and it can make the inner structure of binders getting stable and increase the fatigue properties of asphalt binders. But fatigue damage occurs when fatigue tests start, no matter the phenomenon of cyclic hardening happens or not. If the controlled load is low, the effect of rearrangement of molecules on material is beyond the effect of fatigue damage so that the cyclic hardening can be observed. When the load conditions get worse, the effect of slight fatigue damages produced in hardening stage will show.
文摘Large-scale national disasters have recently occurred worldwide, causing tremendous damage to life and property. Therefore, urban safety has become a critical issue, and disaster prevention and mitigation are also considered in urban development and infrastructure construction. When earthquake disasters occur, road networks play major roles in rescue activity for responding to urban damage. The urban-disaster prevention spatial system attempts to mitigate hazards by considering shelters, routes for evacuation and rescue and necessary logistics. A literature review shows numerous studies related to a disaster-prevention shelter survey before or after hazards, however, they are less concerned with the reliability of shelter evaluation. This study assesses shelter evaluation by considering road networks. The authors construct 10 selected indices individually related to road networks. Three integrated composite indices are established to explain planned-shelter risks using the Arc GIS diagram of a spatial concept of an urban-planning review process. The relationship between shelters and evacuation/rescue routes is important for disaster-prevention planning. This survey investigates the factors of road networks, fire engine rescue routes, fire station location and road/population density for vulnerability evaluations.
