Design and selection tools for sports equipment

This report presents work from the first nine month of a project investigating design methodologies and selection tools to promote innovations in sports equipment. Particular consideration is given to product design improvements and new market adoption of advanced materials and processes. Our aim is to couple appropriately similar technologies so as to provide a method of transfer between sports equipment designs. We would like to make barriers between isolated sports equipment markets more transparent without releasing proprietary information. A brief history of sports equipment design is included; issues particularly relevant to material and process technologies are outlined for sports equipment. A start has been made on a software program to express most of this information in a concise and accessible format. The methodology is reviewed with some industrial case studies. There is a need for further research to extend and address the design issues raised in this document; a suggested research programme is attached.

Numerical back-analysis of energy pile test at Lambeth College, London

Energy Piles present an efficient solution for long-term carbon emission reduction and sustainable construction. However, they have received only partial acceptance by the industry, because of concerns regarding the impact of cyclic thermal changes on the serviceability of energy pile foundations. This paper investigates the applicability of the hybrid load transfer approach to load-settlement analysis of single piles behavior during thermal energy exchange processes. Back-analysis results in terms of the thermal and mechanical response of energy piles show good agreement with field test results from Lambeth College in London. © ASCE 2011.

Current research in embankment dam engineering at imperial college London

This paper gives a short introduction to two research streams in embankment dam engineering underway at Imperial College London. The first is the modelling of embankment dam behaviour during earthquakes and the second is an investigation into the susceptibility of granular filters to internal erosion. The research motivation, methods and expected outcomes of each stream are discussed.