Bridging top down and bottom up: Modelling community preferences for a dispersed rural settlement pattern

This paper explores the scope to bridge top-down and bottom-up perspectives on spatial planning by drawing on EU-funded action research in relation to rural settlement planning in Northern Ireland. The empirical work is located within a review of planning theory that exposes a long running tension between the technocratic stances of government planners and the aspirations of engaged citizens. It demonstrates the operation of a large group planning methodology that delivers community preference with environmental responsibility as a participatory input into planning policy formulation. Transferable insights into the dynamics of spatial planning are identified.

Culture and the Irish Border:Spaces for Conflict Transformation

The Irish border has been described as a ‘natural’ cultural divide between the island's two dominant indigenous ethno-national communities. However, an examination of key resources of ethno-national group culture - religion, sport and language - provides evidence to challenge this representation. Moreover, in the post-1994 period of conflict transformation, evidence is also presented to support the proposition that the Irish border region has developed into a cultural space in which Irish nationalist and Ulster unionist ethno-national communities can explore cultural differences and commonalities through cross-border, cross-community contact and communication in small group encounters. This space underpins the reconfiguration of the border from barrier to political bridge between North and South. European Union (EU) Peace programmes for Ireland, beginning in 1995, provided the support for a cross-border approach to escaping the cage of ethno-national conflict in Northern Ireland. However, post-2004 EU enlargement signalled the beginning of the end for EU Peace funding and severe economic recession has undermined the expectation of British-Irish intergovernmental intervention to support cross-border partnerships and their work. Therefore, the outlook for the sustainability of this cross-border cultural space is gloomy with potentially deleterious consequences for the continued reconfiguration of the border from barrier to bridge.

Corrosion resistant fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement for bridge deck slabs

This paper discusses the beneficial influence of compressive membrane action in fibre reinforced polymer (FRP)reinforced in-plane restrained slabs in bridge deck slabs and the improved service performance when archingaction occurs. Bridge deck slabs that are exposed to extreme environmental conditions can experience severecorrosion damage. Expansive corrosion in steel reinforcement significantly reduces the design life and durabilityof concrete structures; for example, on one short section of the M1 in Northern Ireland, nearly £1 million was spent last year on the maintenance and repair of bridges due to corrosion. Corrosion-resistant compositereinforcement such as basalt fibre reinforced polymer (BFRP) and glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) provides adurable alternative to reinforcing steel. In this research, two BFRP reinforced slabs and two GFRP reinforced slabswere constructed using high-strength concrete with a target cube compressive strength of 65 N/mm2. The slabsrepresented typical full-scale dimensions of a real bridge deck slab 475 mm wide by 1425 mm long and 150 mmdeep. The service and ultimate behaviour of the slabs are discussed and the results are compared with the relevantdesign guidelines.

Pre-charging and DC Fault Ride-Through of Hybri MMC Based HVDC Systems

Compared to half-bridge based MMCs, full-bridge based systems have the advantage of blocking dc fault, but at the expense of increased power semiconductors and power losses. In view of the relationships among ac/dc voltages and currents in full-bridge based MMC with the negative voltage state, this paper provides a detailed analysis on the link between capacitor voltage variation and the maximum modulation index. A hybrid MMC, consisting of mixed half-bridge and full-bridge circuits to combine their respective advantages is investigated in terms of its pre-charging process and transient dc fault ride-through capability. Simulation and experiment results demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed strategy for a full-bridge based MMC and the hybrid MMC.

From the past to the Future: integrating archaeology and conflict resolution in Northern Ireland

Contested understandings about the past continue to reify the divided character of post-Troubles Northern Ireland. In particular, the unresolved legacies of the extension of English control over Ireland in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries through warfare and plantation continue to structure daily lives in the province. Yet the archaeological record of this period complicates the accepted dichotomous narratives through highlighting complexity. These nuances, however, have been lost in recent decades as an overly simplistic model of colonizer versus colonized has emerged as the dominant political paradigm. The management and presentation of sites associated with the process of plantation can arguably create the space necessary to bridge the divide, and to challenge accepted understandings. Cross-community engagement in the process of archaeological discovery and interpretation on plantation-period sites in Northern Ireland highlights the critical role archaeology can play in peace and reconciliation in post-conflict societies.

A density functional theory study of CO and atomic oxygen chemisorption on Pt(111)

Ab initio total energy calculations within a density functional theory framework have been performed for CO and atomic oxygen chemisorbed on the Pt(111) surface. Optimised geometries and chemisorption energies for CO and O on four high-symmetry sites, namely the top, bridge, fee hollow and hcp hollow sites, are presented, the coverage in all cases being 0.25 ML. The differences in CO adsorption energies between these sites are found to be small, suggesting that the potential energy surface for CO diffusion across Pt(111) is relatively flat. The 5 sigma and 2 pi molecular orbitals of CO are found to contribute to bonding with the metal. Some mixing of the 4 sigma and 1 pi molecular orbitals with metal states is also observed. For atomic oxygen, the most stable adsorption site is found to be the fee hollow site, followed in decreasing order of stability by the hcp hollow and bridge sites, with the top site being the least stable. The differences in chemisorption energies between sites for oxygen are larger than in the case of CO, suggesting a higher barrier to diffusion for atomic oxygen. The co-adsorption of CO and O has also been investigated. Calculated chemisorption energies for CO on an O/fcc-precovered surface show that of the available chemisorption sites, the top site at the oxygen atom's next-nearest neighbour surface metal atom is the most stable, with the other four sites calculated bring at least 0.29 eV less stable. The trend of CO site stability in the coadsorption system is explained in terms of a 'bonding competition' model. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Control energy consumption and system performance in vector control of voltage source converters

Power electronics plays an important role in the control and conversion of modern electric power systems. In particular, to integrate various renewable energies using DC transmissions and to provide more flexible power control in AC systems, significant efforts have been made in the modulation and control of power electronics devices. Pulse width modulation (PWM) is a well developed technology in the conversion between AC and DC power sources, especially for the purpose of harmonics reduction and energy optimization. As a fundamental decoupled control method, vector control with PI controllers has been widely used in power systems. However, significant power loss occurs during the operation of these devices, and the loss is often dissipated in the form of heat, leading to significant maintenance effort. Though much work has been done to improve the power electronics design, little has focused so far on the investigation of the controller design to reduce the controller energy consumption (leading to power loss in power electronics) while maintaining acceptable system performance. This paper aims to bridge the gap and investigates their correlations. It is shown a more thoughtful controller design can achieve better balance between energy consumption in power electronics control and system performance, which potentially leads to significant energy saving for integration of renewable power sources.

A wavelet based drive-by bridge inspection system

This paper investigates a low-cost wavelet-based approach for the preliminary monitoring of bridge structures, consisting of the use of a vehicle fitted with accelerometers on its axles. The approach aims to reduce the need for direct instrumentation of the bridge. A time-frequency analysis is carried out in order to identify the existence and location of damage from vehicle accelerations. Firstly, in theoretical simulations, a simplified vehicle-bridge interaction model is used to investigate the effectiveness of the approach. A number of damage indicators are evaluated and compared. A range of parameters such as the bridge span, vehicle speed, damage level and location, signal noise and road roughness are varied in simulations. Secondly, a scaled laboratory experiment is carried out to validate the results of the theoretical analysis and assess the ability of the selected damage indicators to detect changes in the bridge response from vehicle accelerations. 

Advancements and Challenges towards a Collaborative Framework for 3D Tele-Immersive Social Networking

Social experiences realized through teleconferencing systems are still quite different from face to face meetings. The awareness that we are online and in a, to some extent, lesser real world are preventing us from really engaging and enjoying the event. Several reasons account for these differences and have been identified. We think it is now time to bridge these gaps and propose inspiring and innovative solutions in order to provide realistic, believable and engaging online experiences. We present a distributed and scalable framework named REVERIE that faces these challenges and provides a mix of these solutions. Applications built on top of the framework will be able to provide interactive, truly immersive, photo-realistic experiences to a multitude of users that for them will feel much more similar to having face to face meetings than the experience offered by conventional teleconferencing systems.

Investigation of Techniques for Accelerating the Construction of Bridge Deck Overlays, 2016

Use of bridge deck overlays is important in maximizing bridge service life. Overlays can replace the deteriorated part of the deck, thus extending the bridge life. Even though overlay construction avoids the construction of a whole new bridge deck, construction still takes significant time in re-opening the bridge to traffic. Current processes and practices are time-consuming and multiple opportunities may exist to reduce overall construction time by modifying construction requirements and/or materials utilized. Reducing the construction time could have an effect on reducing the socioeconomic costs associated with bridge deck rehabilitation and the inconvenience caused to travelers. This work included three major tasks with literature review, field investigation, and laboratory testing. Overlay concrete mix used for present construction takes long curing hours and therefore an investigation was carried out to find fast-curing concrete mixes that could reduce construction time. Several fast-cuing concrete mixes were found and suggested for further evaluation. An on-going overlay construction project was observed and documented. Through these observations, several opportunities were suggested where small modifications in the process could lead to significant time savings. With current standards of the removal depth of substrate concrete in Iowa, it takes long hours for the removal process. Four different laboratory tests were performed with different loading conditions to determine the necessary substrate concrete removal depth for a proper bond between the substrate concrete and the new overlay concrete. Several parameters, such as failure load, bond stress, and stiffness, were compared for four different concrete removal depths. Through the results and observations of this investigation several conclusions were made which could reduce bridge deck overlay construction time.

Second Welland Canal - Book 2, Survey Map 3 - Locks 8, 9 and 10 in Grantham

Survey map of the Second Welland Canal created by the Welland Canal Company showing the Grantham Township between the Town of St. Catharines and Merritton. Identified structures associated with the Canal include Locks 8, 9, and 10, waste weirs, the towing path, and several floating bridges. The surveyors' measurements and notes can be seen in red and black ink and pencil. Several stones and tree stumps likely used in the measurements are identified on the map. Local area landmarks are also identified and include streets and roads(ex. Macadamized Road to Thorold), J. Hamilton's Hotel, a school house, McCoy's Farm House, Bradley's House, O. Phelps Saw Mill, Disher and Hait's Woolen Mill, Centreville Mills, a bridge, several barns, and a number of structures (possibly houses, cabins, or shops) belonging to: P. McCoy, E. McLachlan, T. Wilson, W. Wilson, M. Bradley, S. Bradley, P. Boyle, J. Bradley, E. Grant, and W. Church. Lock 12 and 15 of the original canal are also identified. Properties and property owners of note are: Concession 8 Lots 12, 13 and 14, O. J. Phelps, P. McCoy, A. Bradley, C. Bradley, T. Reed, O. Clifford, J. Bradley, W. C. Loan Company, Duffin, and T. Towers Mill Lot.

Second Welland Canal - Book 2, Survey Map 4 - Locks 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 in Grantham

Survey map of the Second Welland Canal created by the Welland Canal Company showing the Grantham Township along the outskirts of Merritton. Identified structures associated with the Canal include Locks 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, Lock House Lot, and the towing path. The surveyors' measurements and notes can be seen in red and black ink and pencil. Several stones likely used in the measurements are identified on the map. Local area landmarks are also identified and include streets and roads(ex. Hartzel Road and Macadamized Road), the Great Western Railroad, Swing Bridge, Thorold Station and its structures (ex. freight house, office, water tank, and wood house), Gordon and Mackay Houses, Gordon and Mackay's Cotton Mill, hydraulic race, a wharf, pond, and an unnamed bridge. Properties and property owners of note are: Concession 9 Lots 12 and 13, A. Bradley, John O'Coner, G. Grant, J. Bradley, J. Vanderburgh, O. Clifford and a parcel of land leased Gordon and Mackay.

Commemorative stamps, British, American and Canadian, 1974-1977, 1982-1984, 1996.

The Guernsey post office stamps consist of 2 exhibition series souvenir sheets commemorating Major-General Sir Issac Brock, 1769-1812. The stamp was issued in 1996 to celebrate Guernsey’s attendance at Canada’s international stamp exhibition CAPEX 96. The stamps issued by the United States postal service consist of 1 sheet of stamps commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Peace Bridge, 1927-1977. The stamps issued by Canada Post include 5 commemorative day-of-issue envelopes with stamps featuring William Hamilton Merritt and the Welland Canal. This stamp was issued in 1974 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the canal. There is also a set of 4 inscription corner blocks of stamps. These items are contained in an envelope addressed to Mr. J.N. Jackson, St. Catharines, ON. There is also a separate sheet of the same stamp. Also issued by Canada Post are 2 full sheets of stamps, one commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Peace Bridge (1927-1977), and one commemorating 25 years of the St. Lawrence Seaway (1959-1984). Lastly, there are 2 full sheets of stamps commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Royal Henley Regatta, issued in 1982.

Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge Company fonds, 1875-1876, 1878, 1884

In 1846, the governments of Upper Canada and the State of New York initiated the creation of two companies that would be authorized to build a bridge over the Niagara River. The bridge was to be owned by both companies, respectively known as the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge Company (Canadian) and the International Bridge Company (American). A suspension bridge was completed in 1848. This bridge was later replaced by a second suspension bridge that accommodated railways, built in 1853-54. However, the increasing weight of trains made it necessary for the bridge to be redesigned, and a third bridge was completed in 1886. Eventually, this bridge was replaced by a steel arch bridge, which was completed in 1897.

Niagara Falls Bridge Commission Scrapbooks, 1941-1948, 1953-1963, 1965-1974

The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission was created by a joint resolution of the 1938 U.S. Congressional Third Session. The Extra Provincial Corporations Act of Ontario, Canada licenses the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission. Canada and the United States are equally represented on the Commission by an 8 member Board of Commissioners. Canadian commissioners are appointed by the Premier of Ontario. The three Niagara bridges are the Whirlpool Bridge, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and the Rainbow Bridge. Source:http://niagarafallsbridges.com/index.php3