Projects / Programmes
Civil engineering strucutres
January 1, 2004
- December 31, 2008
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.01.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Civil engineering |
|
| 2.05.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Mechanics |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T230 |
Technological sciences |
Building construction |
civil engineering structures, materials, steel, concrete, fire engineering, seismic resistance, experimental research, numerical simulations, symbolic approach, living environment, buildings, renewable energy sources, heating, cooling, daylighting
Researchers (21)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Research program "Civil engineering structures" is active in the area of all types of structures: steel, concrete, composite steel and concrete, timber structures and also in the field of efficient use of energy in buildings. The following four topics represent the core of the research program for the time of 2004-2008:
1. New high efficient construction materials, such as high strength steel and concrete and their use in structures
2. Behaviour of structures at different accidental situations such as fire and earthquakes
3. Development of numerical methods for an efficient simulation of material and structural response
4. Renewable sources of energy in buildings
Significance for science
The main research theme of the proposed research programme were as in the last five-year period proposed on the basis of involvement of research programme members in important and relevant European organizations in the field of structures (CEN /TC 250/SC2, CEN/TC 250/SC3, ECCS TC8, ECCS T10, IABSE, CEB-FIB). Some of the priority themes of these international bodies will be developed (as in the past when our research results were directly included in two European standards – EUROCODES: EN 1993-1-5, EN 1993-1-12) and it is expected that also in the next period some of the result will reach adequate international relevancy. Multi-scale modeling is currently one of the priority issues in the field of computational engineering as well as priority issue of EU and national research programs. Growing requirements of modern engineering structures necessitate the development and use of new materials. In particular, improvement of material properties can be achieved by the optimization of material microstructure. Principal researcher Prof. Jože Korelc is a primal developer of the commercial software systems AceGen and AceFEM for on-demand numerical code generation and finite element analysis. The systems have become principal tools for the development of new numerical methods worldwide. It is expected that the extension of the systems developed within the proposed project to the field of multi-scale analysis will become a basic research tool for multi-scale analysis within the project group in Slovenia as well as for the worldwide computational community. When dealing with building physics tasks, we come upon the problem of positioning it among already solved basic physical questions on one hand and problems of a building behaviour with many unsolved, inter-related building physics and health issues on the other hand. Primarily it is a question of scientific approach toward the estimation of the influence of energy efficient heating and cooling systems on energy balance of the building and which element to manipulate: indoor air or building envelope. The favourisation of building envelope (the idea which we support) can be supported by some basic ideas, for instance exergy, but its functioning is not proven either theoretically (with new physical models of built structures) or experimentally. The research will enable the estimation of energy use influence related to the influences on design of living and working environment from the human point of view (functioning of a person regarding the factors that influence his/her health). The main result is the proof that manipulating with building envelope (taking into account dynamical thermal response depending on the sequence of functional layers, spectrally selective coatings and active heating/cooling functional layers) has better results than using air as a transport media of heat. Contribution to science in the building physics field will be design of a model and of analytical instruments for the estimation of system functioning (human efficiency and health and low energy use from low-temperature sources - sources with minimum temperature difference among heat source and indoor environment).
Significance for the country
1. Development of structures and structural elements that use less material and less energy and provide required reliability (also in earthquake conditions or in fire). 2. Transfer and developed knowledge on structures and building physics into study programs of UL Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering and into engineering practice. 3. The computational method developed for the purpose of nonlinear analysis of the response of reinforced concrete structures under fire will allow to draw up technical directives designed to ensure the required fire resistance of structures and relevant estimations as to whether fire-damaged load-carrying structures are still appropriate for repair and further use. 4. Transfer of knowledge into industry through industrial R/D projects with parties from the construction industry (TRIMO Trebnje, GD Primorje Ajdovščina, … ). 5. Important contribution of research programme members at the activities related to introduction of Eurocode Standards in Slovenia (Chairmanship of the SIST committee for structures and sub-committee for concrete and steel structures, translation of Eurocodes to Slovenian language, development of National annexes, courses for engineers and preparation of written material including illustrative worked examples). 6. Research training: during last five years six doctoral students and one MSc student successfully finished their studies within this research programme and it is to be expected the same or even better result in the next period. 7. Today numerical simulations in the technical area have become almost compulsory part of each serious research and each doctoral thesis. However, owing to the growing complexity the development of the required software equipment demands more and more time. With the use of advanced technologies this time will get shorter and allow researchers to focus more on the study of the phenomena and on the transfer of the findings into practice. 8. In the near future Slovenia and EU need to improve thermal efficiency of the built environment. Dependance on imported energy is approximetelly equal in Slovenia and EU and is 70%. Energy sector is responsible for more than 90% of CO2 emmissions. Potential fields for the reduction of energy use are: daylighting (14% of energy in tertiary sector is used for lighting, potential savings are 30-50% with the use of efficient components, control systems and integration of daylighting), cooling (at the moment trends show that by 2020 the extent of climatisation in buildings is going to be doubled, the potential of minimum reductions of energy use is by 25%), production of green energy (renewable sources), bioclimatic design (potential of reduced energy use by 60%!). The proposed project area is linked to the above mentioned findings and deals with the potential (large) possibilities for technological development, especially in the field of integrated energy management in buildings (integrated: thermal insulation-heating-ventilation-cooling-daylighting).
Most important scientific results
Final report,
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Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
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