Risk mitigation of post-earthquake fire in urban buildings

Post-earthquake fire (PEF) is considered one of the most high risk and complicated problems affecting buildings in urban areas and can cause even more damage than the earthquake itself. However, most standards and codes ignore the implications of PEF and so buildings are not normally designed with PEF in mind. What is needed is for PEF factors to be routinely scrutinized and codified as part of the design process. A systematic application is presented as a means of mitigating the risk of PEF in urban buildings. This covers both existing buildings, in terms of retrofit solutions, and those yet to be designed, where a PEF factor is proposed. To ensure the mitigation strategy meets the defined criteria, a minimum time is defined – the safety guaranteed time target – where the safety of the inhabitants in a building is guaranteed.

Using police crash databases for injury prevention research - a comparison of opt-out and opt-in approaches to study recruitment

Objective: The study aimed to examine the difference in response rates between opt-out and opt-in participant recruitment in a population-based study of heavy-vehicle drivers involved in a police-attended crash. Methods: Two approaches to subject recruitment were implemented in two different states over a 14-week period and response rates for the two approaches (opt-out versus opt-in recruitment) were compared. Results: Based on the eligible and contactable drivers, the response rates were 54% for the optout group and 16% for the opt-in group. Conclusions and Implications: The opt-in recruitment strategy (which was a consequence of one jurisdiction’s interpretation of the national Privacy Act at the time) resulted in an insufficient and potentially biased sample for the purposes of conducting research into risk factors for heavy-vehicle crashes. Australia’s national Privacy Act 1988 has had a long history of inconsistent practices by state and territory government departments and ethical review committees. These inconsistencies can have profound effects on the validity of research, as shown through the significantly different response rates we reported in this study. It is hoped that a more unified interpretation of the Privacy Act across the states and territories, as proposed under the soon-to-be released Australian Privacy Principles will reduce the recruitment challenges outlined in this study.

A qualitative investigation of adolescents’ perceived mechanisms of change from a universal school-based depression prevention program

A recent meta-analysis provides evidence supporting the universal application of school-based prevention programs for adolescent depression. The mechanisms underlying such successful interventions, however, are largely unknown. We report on a qualitative analysis of 109 Grade 9 students’ beliefs about what they gained from an evidence-based depression prevention intervention, the Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP-A). Fifty-four percent of interviewees articulated at least one specific example of program benefit. A thematic analysis of responses revealed two major themes, improved interpersonal relationships and improved self-regulation, both stronger than originally assumed. A more minor theme also emerged—more helpful cognitions. It is postulated that both improved interpersonal relationships and improved self-regulation are likely to enhance one another, and more helpful cognitions may express its contribution through enhanced self-regulation. These findings broaden our understanding of the impact of depression prevention programs, beginning to illuminate how such programs benefit participants.

Engendering the responsibility to protect : women and the prevention of mass atrocities

This article explores the relationship between the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the pursuit of the so-called ‘Women, Peace and Security’ (WPS) agenda at the UN. We ask whether the two agendas should continue to be pursued separately or whether each can make a useful contribution to the other. We argue that while the history of R2P has not included language that deliberately evokes the protection of women and the promotion of gender in preventing genocide and mass atrocities, this does not preclude the R2P and WPS agendas becoming mutually reinforcing. The article identifies cross-cutting areas where the two agendas may be leveraged for the UN and member states to address the concerns of women as both actors in need of protection and active agents in preventing and responding to genocide and mass atrocities, namely in the areas of early warning.

Cheating prevention in linear secret sharing

Cheating detection in linear secret sharing is considered. The model of cheating extends the Tompa-Woll attack and includes cheating during multiple (unsuccessful) recovery of the secret. It is shown that shares in most linear schemes can be split into subshares. Subshares can be used by participants to trade perfectness of the scheme with cheating prevention. Evaluation of cheating prevention is given in the context of different strategies applied by cheaters.

Cheating prevention in secret sharing over GF(pt)

The work investigates cheating prevention in secret sharing. It is argued that cheating is immune against cheating if the cheaters gain no advantage over honest participants by submitting invalid shares to the combiner. This work addresses the case when shares and the secret are taken from GF(pt). Two models are considered. The first one examines the case when cheaters consistently submit always invalid shares. The second modeldeal s with cheaters who submit a mixture of valid and invalid shares. For these two models, cheating immunity is defined, properties of cheating immune secret sharing are investigated and their constructions are given.

Fire performance and design of load bearing light gauge steel frame wall systems exposed to realistic design fires

This paper presents the fire performance results of light gauge steel frame (LSF) walls lined with single and double plasterboards, and externally insulated with rock fibre insulation as obtained using a finite element analysis based parametric study. A validated numerical model was used to study the influence of various fire curves developed for a range of compartment characteristics. Data from the parametric study was utilized to develop a simplified method to predict the fire resistance ratings of LSF walls exposed to realistic design fire curves. Further, this paper also presents the details of suitable fire design rules based on current cold-formed steel standards and the modifications proposed by previous researchers. Of these the recently developed design rules by Gunalan and Mahendran [1] were investigated to determine their applicability to predict the axial compression strengths and fire resistance ratings (FRR) of LSF walls exposed to realistic design fires. Finally, the stud failure times obtained from fire design rules and finite element studies were compared for LSF walls lined with single and double plasterboards, and externally insulated with rock fibres under realistic design fire curves.

Fire resistance rating of light gauge steel frame walls exposed to realistic design fires : a review and development of time equivalent approach

This paper presents the details of research undertaken on the development of an energy based time equivalent approach for light gauge steel frame (LSF) walls. This research utilized an energy based time equivalent approach to obtain the fire resistance ratings (FRR) of LSF walls exposed to realistic design fires with respect to standard fire exposure [1]. It is based on the equal area concept of fire severity and relates to the amount of energy transferred to the member. The proposed method was used to predict the fire resistance of single and double plasterboard lined and externally insulated LSF walls. The predicted fire resistance ratings were compared with the results from finite element analyses and fire design rules for three different wall configurations. This paper presents the review of the available time equivalent approaches and the development of energy based time equivalent approach for the prediction of fire resistance ratings of LSF walls exposed to realistic design fires.

Effects of plasterboard joints on the fire performance of cold-formed steel walls

This paper presents the effect of plasterboard joints on the fire performance of cold-formed steel walls. Plasterboard joints are unavoidable. However, they can be arranged in a way that they do not significantly influence the fire performance of cold-formed steel walls. Hence a research study into the effects of plasterboard joints on the fire performance of plasterboard lined cold-formed steel walls was undertaken using both full-scale fire tests and numerical studies. In this study a back-blocking technique was used to eliminate the plasterboard joints being located over the studs. Instead plasterboard joints were used between studs with 150 mm wide plasterboards as back-blocks. Both experimental and numerical results from this study show that the fire resistance rating of single plasterboard lined cold-formed steel walls can be increased by 25% through the use of a back-blocking joint arrangement in comparison to the traditional plasterboard joint arrangement over the studs.

A typology of technological enablers of website service failure prevention

An increasing range of services are now offered via online applications and e-commerce websites. However, problems with online services still occur at times, even for the best service providers due to the technical failures, informational failures, or lack of required website functionalities. Also, the widespread and increasing implementation of web services means that service failures are both more likely to occur, and more likely to have serious consequences. In this paper we first develop a digital service value chain framework based on existing service delivery models adapted for digital services. We then review current literature on service failure prevention, and provide a typology of technolo- gies and approaches that can be used to prevent failures of different types (functional, informational, system), that can occur at different stages in the web service delivery. This makes a contribution to theory by relating specific technologies and technological approaches to the point in the value chain framework where they will have the maximum impact. Our typology can also be used to guide the planning, justification and design of robust, reliable web services.

Effect of broadcast baiting on abundance patterns of red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and key local ant genera at long-term monitoring sites in Brisbane, Australia

In 2001, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) was identified in Brisbane, Australia. An eradication program involving broadcast bait treatment with two insect growth regulators and a metabolic inhibitor began in September of that year and is currently ongoing. To gauge the impacts of these treatments on local ant populations, we examined long-term monitoring data and quantified abundance patterns of S. invicta and common local ant genera using a linear mixed-effects model. For S. invicta, presence in pitfalls reduced over time to zero on every site. Significantly higher numbers of S. invicta workers were collected on high-density polygyne sites, which took longer to disinfest compared with monogyne and low-density polygyne sites. For local ants, nine genus groups of the 10 most common genera analyzed either increased in abundance or showed no significant trend. Five of these genus groups were significantly less abundant at the start of monitoring on high-density polygyne sites compared with monogyne and low-density polygyne sites. The genus Pheidole significantly reduced in abundance over time, suggesting that it was affected by treatment efforts. These results demonstrate that the treatment regime used at the time successfully removed S. invicta from these sites in Brisbane, and that most local ant genera were not seriously impacted by the treatment. These results have important implications for current and future prophylactic treatment efforts, and suggest that native ants remain in treated areas to provide some biological resistance to S. invicta.

Experimental investigation of post-fire mechanical properties of cold-formed steels

Cold-formed steel members are widely used in residential, industrial and commercial buildings as primary load-bearing elements. During fire events, they will be exposed to elevated temperatures. If the general appearance of the structure is satisfactory after a fire event then the question that has to be answered is how the load bearing capacity of cold-formed steel members in these buildings has been affected. Hence after such fire events there is a need to evaluate the residual strength of these members. However, the post-fire behaviour of cold-formed steel members has not been investigated in the past. This means conservative decisions are likely to be made in relation to fire exposed cold-formed steel buildings. Therefore an experimental study was undertaken to investigate the post-fire mechanical properties of cold-formed steels. Tensile coupons taken from cold-formed steel sheets of three different steel grades and thicknesses were exposed to different elevated temperatures up to 800 oC, and were then allowed to cool down to ambient temperature before they were tested to failure. Tensile coupon tests were conducted to obtain their post-fire stress-strain curves and associated mechanical properties (yield stress, Young’s modulus, ultimate strength and ductility). It was found that the post-fire mechanical properties of cold-formed steels are reduced below the original ambient temperature mechanical properties if they had been exposed to temperatures exceeding 300 oC. Hence a new set of equations is proposed to predict the post-fire mechanical properties of cold-formed steels. Such post-fire mechanical property assessments allow structural and fire engineers to make an accurate prediction of the safety of fire exposed cold-formed steel buildings. This paper presents the details of this experimental study and the results of post-fire mechanical properties of cold-formed steels. It also includes the results of a post-fire evaluation of cold-formed steel walls.

Sexual abuse prevention education

Child sexual abuse is a serious problem that has received increased attention in recent years. From an ecological perspective, in which social problems are viewed in the context of characteristics of individuals, families, and broader societal systems (Prilleltensky, Peirson, & Nelson, 2001), preventing child sexual abuse involves strengthening capacity to intervene at individual, family/relationship, school, and community levels. School-based education programs have been developed in efforts to prevent child sexual abuse before it happens and to provide children who may already be experiencing it with help seeking information. Use of these programs must be based on evidence rather than ideology. Evaluations of these programs have demonstrated that sexual abuse prevention education can provide children with improved knowledge and skills for responding to and reporting potential sexual abuse. However, this learning does not seem to be maintained over time which means further attention should be given to repeated learning, opportunities for concept reinforcement and integration with other topics. School-based programs typically present information to children by presenting a series of core concepts and messages which are delivered using engaging pedagogical strategies such as multi-media technologies, animations, theatre and songs, puppets, picture books, and games. This chapter will outline the key characteristics of effective child sexual abuse prevention programs, and will provide directions for future research and practice.

Cold & fire

"Cold & Fire", a song by the Australian band Dear Anonymous, was produced as part of the Indie 100 research intensive project within the Independent Music Project (IMP). The IMP is an ongoing, interdisciplinary research arm within QUT. The song's author is Julia Kourtidis.

Injury prevention among friends : the benefits of school connectedness

Unsafe road behaviors, violence and alcohol use, are primary contributors to adolescent injury. Research suggests that adolescents look out for their friends and engage in protective behavior to reduce others' risk-taking and that school connectedness is associated with reduced injury-risks. This study examined the role of school connectedness in willingness to protect and prevent friends from involvement in alcohol use, fights and unlicensed driving. Surveys were completed at two time points, six months apart, by 545 13-14 year olds from seven Australian high schools. Females were significantly more likely than males to report willingness to protect their friends. School connectedness significantly and positively predicted willingness to protect across all three injury-risk behaviors, after accounting for sex and own involvement in injury-risk behaviors. School connectedness may therefore be an important factor to target in school-based prevention programs, both to reduce adolescents' own injury-risk behavior and to increase injury prevention among friends.