Developing Computer-Based Design Approach to Foster the Architectural Skills of Undergraduate Students in Design Studios

The paper discusses the importance of computer as a supporting approach in architecture. This approach is expected to foster the students＇ design skills in design studios. The approach is an educational tool for tutors that could guide the students and increase their creativity in their design. It considers the concepts and the practice of digital architectural design that influence architectural education. The approach is a catalyst for creativity, experimentation, critical thinking and the sustained growth of creative communities. The core of design studio is the notions, methods and skills of digital architectural design. The instruments used for this research was an investigation that made for the work of the fourth year students designs at the architectural department at University of Jordan, by testing design process and product of students＇ work： first using manual skills, and then using computer-aided programs. The results revealed that the computer-based design approach was able to foster students＇ design skills as well as to develop their creativity in design. Ninety-one percent of 44 students were found improved in design process using computer-based approach that depends on computer programs. This was done in design studio by improving students＇ way of thinking, developing their abilities to direct their own learning and pushing them for new definitions in developing their future work.

RESEARCH PROGRESS ON STRUCTURAL FATIGUE RELIABILITY DESIGN AND ANALYSIS METHODS OF CHINESE RAILWAY VEHICLES

A state-of-art review is given to the new advances on fatigue reliability design and analysis methods of Chinese railway vehicle＇s structures. First, the structures are subject to a complicated random fatigue stressing history and this history should be determined by combining dynamic simulation and on-line inspection. Second, the random fatigue constitutions belong to an intrinsic fatigue phenomenon and a probabilistic model is developed to well describe them with two measurements of survival probability and confidence, similar model is also presented for the random stress-life rela- tions and extrapolated appropriately into Song fatigue life regime. Third, concept of the fatigue limit should be understood as the fatigue strength at a given fatigue life and a so-called local Basquin model method is proposed for measuring the random strengths. In addition, drawing and application methods of the Goodman-Smith diagram for integrally characterizing the random fatigue strengths are established in terms of ten kilometers. Fourth, a reliability stress-based method is constructed with a consideration of the random constitutive relations. These new advances form a new frame work for railway fatigue reliability design and analysis.

Assessment of Containment Structures Against Missile Impact Threats

In order to ensure the highest safety requirements, nuclear power plant structures (the containment structures, the fuel storages and transportation systems) should be assessed against all possible internal and external impact threats. The internal impact threats include kinetic missiles generated by the failure of high pressure vessels and pipes, the failure of high speed rotating machineries and accidental drops. The external impact threats may come from airborne missiles, aircraft impact, explosion blast and fragments. The impact effects of these threats on concrete and steel structures in a nuclear power plant are discussed. Methods and procedures for the impact assessment of nuclear power plants are introduced. Recent studies on penetration and perforation mechanics as well as progresses on dynamic properties of concrete-like materials are presented to increase the understanding of the impact effects on concrete containment structures.