Material-Based Construction Site Image Retrieval

The technological advancements in digital imaging, the widespread popularity of digital cameras, and the increasing demand by owners and contractors for detailed and complete site photograph logs have triggered an ever-increasing growth in the rate of construction image data collection, with thousands of images being stored for each project. However, the sheer volume of images and the difficulties in accurately and manually indexing them have generated a pressing need for methods that can index and retrieve images with minimal or no user intervention. This paper reports recent developments from research efforts in the indexing and retrieval of construction site images in architecture, engineering, construction, and facilities management image database systems. The limitations and benefits of the existing methodologies will be presented, as well as an explanation of the reasons for the development of a novel image retrieval approach that not only can recognize construction materials within the image content in order to index images, but also can be compatible with existing retrieval methods, enabling enhanced results.

Performance of magnesia cements in porous blocks in acid and magnesium environments

The performance of porous blocks containing three different reactive magnesia-based cements - namely magnesia alone, magnesium oxide: Portland cement (PC) in 1:1 ratio, cured in ambient conditions, and magnesia alone, cured at elevated carbon dioxide conditions, in hydrochloric acid and magnesium sulfate solution - was investigated. Different aggressive chemical solution conditions were used, to which the samples were exposed for up to 12 months and then tested for strength and microstructure. The performance was also compared with that of standard PC-based blocks. The results showed the significant resistance to chemical attack offered by magnesia, both alone and with PC blend in the porous blocks when cured under ambient carbon dioxide conditions, and confirmed the much poorer performance of blocks made from PC alone. The blocks of solely magnesia cured in elevated carbon dioxide conditions, at 20% concentration, showed slightly lower resistance to acid attack than PC; however, the resistance to sulfate attack was much higher. © 2012 Thomas Telford Ltd.

Alternative methods for surface texturing

Surface texturing has a great potential to improve tribological performance. First, possible texturing methods were identified and classified according to their physical principles. In sequence, some alternative texturing methods are presented. Some of them are already currently used either in industry or in laboratory, and innovations or simplifications are described for them. Others are innovative techniques. Some were explored only tentatively, where basic ideas and simple experimental investigations were developed to check their validity. Others were explored in more detail, so that their practical applicability could be identified. The first texturing method was photochemical texturing using a simple and cheap apparatus. Masking with inkjet printing before chemical etching was also successful to texture metallic samples. A new method involving electrochemical texturing, without the need to previously mask the samples to be textured have been studied in terms of voltage, current, mechanical configuration of the apparatus and electrolyte flushing. Another method aims to generate randomly distributed circular pockets on steel surfaces and involves dispersion of small acid droplets in oil. The final method involves the selective formation of hard areas on a steel surface by locallised diffusion, which should then develop into a texture during wear.

香溪河水系大型底栖动物的群落结构及生态位

2005年7月～2006年6月对三峡水库湖北库区最大支流香溪河的大型底栖动物进行定量采集,并对所得数据进行了数理统计分析及生态位分析.结果表明,香溪河水系大型底栖动物物种丰富度在不同季节、不同支流间差异均显著;密度在各季节间差异显著.四节蜉、高翔蜉、锯形蜉、朝大蚊和扁蜉生态位较宽;Tetropina sp.、短尾石蝇、黑蝇生态位较窄.四节蜉、高翔蜉、锯形蜉、朝大蚊与其它分类单元生态位重叠值较大,黑蝇、短尾石蝇、直突摇蚊、Tetropinasp.与其它分类单元生态位重叠值较小.相对丰度和生态位宽度对生态位重

中等实验规模下不同营养环境对苦草(Vallisneria natans)生长的影响

本实验分别选用武汉东湖中营养和富营养湖区的湖水和底泥,并在水柱中添加氮或磷以设置高营养、中营养、中营养添加磷、中营养添加氮等四种营养环境.测定这四种营养条件下栽培苦草(Vallisneria natans)的生长和生化指标变化,探讨不同营养环境对苦草生长的影响机制.实验结果表明,苦草的生物量、叶数和新芽数等生长指标在中营养环境最高,中营养环境添加磷次之,中营养环境添加氮较低,在高营养环境最低;苦草可溶性糖和游离氨基酸含量在高营养环境中最高,在中营养环境、中营养环境添加磷和中营养环境添加氮等处理间没有明显差

三峡库区四条支流藻类多样性评价及“水华”防治

应用多样性指数、丰富度指数和均匀性指数对长江4条支流水域的藻类多样性进行了评价.比较了4条支流春、秋两季浮游藻类优势种、细胞密度和生物量等指标,对三峡蓄水后库区“水华”成因进行了初步分析.结果表明,4条支流的营养水平均属于中-富营养型,童庄河的水质最差,其次为香溪河和青干河,九畹溪的水质较好.春季硅藻的种类数多,绿藻种类数少;秋季则相反.藻类细胞密度的最高值出现在香溪河(6.036×106个/L),生物量的最高值出现在童庄河(19.997mg/L).2项指标的最低值均出现在九畹溪.在春季,童庄河还出现了拟