Entire Floor Research Articles

Real-time work-in-progress management for smart object-enabled ubiquitous shop-floor environment

Recent developments in wireless technologies have created opportunities for developing next-generation manufacturing systems with real-time traceability, visibility and interoperability in shop-floor planning, execution and control. This article proposes a work-in-progress management framework based on smart objects such as radio frequency identification/Auto-ID devices and web service technologies in a ubiquitous manufacturing (UM) environment. Under this framework, two types of services (data source service and gateway data service) and WIPA (work-in-progress agent) are designed and developed to manage and control the real-time materials and information flows to improve the optimal planning and control of the entire shop floor. During production execution, real-time visibility explorers are provided for operators and supervisors to reflect the real-time situation of current manufacturing environment. It follows a simple but effective principle: what you see is what you do and what you do is what you see. Production disturbances could thus be detected and fed back to decision makers for implementing closed-loop shop-floor control. In addition, some important standards such as ISA 95 and business-to-manufacturing markup language (B2MML) are adopted to establish the information model and schemas of WIP called wipML (work-in-progress markup language). Based on B2MML and wipML, the real-time manufacturing information can be effectively encapsulated, shared and exchanged between gateways, WIPA and heterogeneous enterprise information systems. The presented framework is studied and demonstrated using a near real-life simplified shop floor that consists of typical manufacturing objects.

The influence of travelling fires on a concrete frame

When building fires occur in large, open compartments they rarely burn uniformly across an entire floor plate of a structure. Instead, they tend to travel, igniting fuel in their path and burning it out as they move to the next fuel package. Current structural fire design methods do not account for these types of fires. This paper applies a novel methodology for defining a family of possible heating regimes to a framed concrete structure using the concept of travelling fires. A finite-element model of a generic concrete structure is used to study the impact of the family of fires; both relative to one another and in comparison to the conventional codified temperature–time curves. It is found that travelling fires have a significant impact on the performance of the structure and that the current design approaches cannot be assumed to be conservative. Further, it is found that a travelling fire of approximately 25% of the floor plate in size is the most severe in terms of structural response. It is concluded that the new approach is simple to implement, provides more realistic fire scenarios, and is more conservative than current design methods.

Quaternary alluvial fan systems of the Agri intermontane basin (southern Italy): tectonic and climatic controls

Quaternary alluvial fan systems of the Agri intermontane basin (southern Italy): tectonic and climatic controlsThe Agri River high valley is a Quaternary intermontane basin located in southern Italy. The tectonic evolution of this basin was controlled by Lower Pleistocene strike-slip master faults, subsequently reactivated as normal faults until the Middle Pleistocene. The Quaternary sediments of the basin infill are mainly constituted of continental clastics, represented by coarse-grained alluvial deposits divided by unconformities. The arrangement of clastic deposits suggests that the Pleistocene to Holocene alluvial fan system developed along the eastern margin of the valley. Five generations of slope and alluvial fan systems have been recognized in the Agri basin. The oldest fans have formed on both slope and alluvial deposits. The younger alluvial fans are located along the entire valley floor and arose upon the earlier fan apexes originating in these valleys. The youngest fans are arranged in two different generations and show proximal facies distributed along the foot slopes. Plan view morphology, fan slope profiles, and sedimentary features of the fan system have been used here to determine the magnitude of the tectonic deformation episode affecting the faulted mountainous front of the Agri basin eastern margin. Both fast and slow tectonic episodes occurred during the different regional Quaternary tectonic stages that affected the southern Apennine chain. These tectonic episodes have therefore been analysed in relation to climatic conditions in order to determine their contributions to the evolution of the Pleistocene to Holocene fan systems.

Against Academia: The History of the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association and the Popular Culture Movement, 1967-1988. 2nd ed. by Ray B. Browne

This review was inadvertently left out of our last issue, which reassessed the important works of our journal's founder, Ray B. Browne. Against Academia: The History of the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association and the Popular Culture Movement, 1967-1988. 2nd ed. Ray B. Browne. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1989. Against Academia was Ray Browne's attempt to define a useable past for a movement seeking legitimacy; it established a timeline with dates, major events, and key personalities - from the earliest days until 1988 when the manuscript was completed. As a true visionary, Ray understood the importance of a narrative record of his innovations. While teaching at Purdue in 1965, Ray hosted an American studies conference where scholars like R?ssel Nye (a Pulitzer Prize winner), and Tom Towers shared their interests in interdisciplinary studies; Ray urged a broader application beyond high to folklore and culture. Surprisingly, there was resistance by many Americanists, crystallized by William Gass in his assertion that culture cripples consciousness (12). When Ray arrived at Bowling Green in 1967, he was pleased to find administrators who helped him start a Center for the Study of Popular Culture and to begin publication of a Journal of Popular Culture. In 1969, with R?ssel Nye, Marshall Fishwick and others, Browne founded the Popular Culture Association. As the organizational structure evolved, the pioneers were joined by John G. Cawelti (University of Chicago), Carl Bode (University of Maryland), David Madden (Louisiana State University), and Philip G. Durham (UCLA). The first national meeting was held at Michigan State University in the spring of 1971. (The conference program is included as an appendix.) Meanwhile, back in Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Ray and Pat Browne created the Popular Press in 1970 and collected a nucleus for a Popular Culture Library (which today occupies an entire floor of the Jerome Library on the BGSU campus). From the popular press offices, the Brownes tapped talents of local campus colleagues to produce an innovative journal entitled Popular Music and Society plus a very important Journal of Cultural Geography. Both were successful. Another experiment was The Journal of Regional Cultures, an effort which died on the vine after a handsome, single issue was published on the Southwest (alas, Rollins as Editor). Not every sprig bloomed. …

Design and Application of a Wire-Driven Bidirectional Telescopic Mechanism for Workspace Expansion with a Focus on Shipbuilding Tasks

Various products and patents have been established with regard to telescopic mechanisms over a long period of time. However, to the best of our knowledge, with reference to motional characteristics, few studies have been reported on a telescopic mechanism that is capable of bidirectional extension. Moreover, as we wish to point out here, such a kind of mechanism has received little attention due to the absence of practical applications. However, in the case of blast-cleaning and painting in double-hulled structures in shipbuilding, the bidirectional-extension mechanism seems to be a worthwhile subject for investigation since it will be of great help in the execution of suggested tasks for the entire transverse web floor with a range of 2–3 m. Since the self-traveling robotic platform is located on longitudinal stiffeners whose heights range from 400 to 800 mm, the manipulator to be installed on the robotic platform should have a bidirectional stroke to continuously approach the upper and lower sections of the transverse web floor. Further, with the rapid progress of the shipbuilding industry in South Korea, the importance of the bidirectional-extension mechanism in the automation of double-hulled structures has been increasingly recognized. Thus, for the design of a new mechanism, this paper describes a new type of telescopic mechanism that is capable of bidirectional strokes; the paper focuses on the mechanical design, analysis, manufacture and experimentation. Further, a customized pulley with a cylindrical-helix groove is designed to prevent the problem of overlapping steel wires since it leads to inaccurate position control with respect to the motor's rotation. In particular, experiments have been conducted in terms of the positional repeatability of the manufactured telescopic manipulator and the quality of blast-cleaning of an upper section of a transverse web floor in a double-hulled structure. Throughout the experiments, the manufactured mechanism has demonstrated an amazing bidirectional translating stroke that has ranged from –500 to +2000 mm in field testing. Further, the repeatability of the manufactured bidirectional manipulator with the suggested motor–pulley system has been clearly identified as ±0.84 mm in the descending direction and ±0.63 mm in the ascending direction.

Josef Hoffmann's unknown masterpiece: the garden of Stoclet House in Brussels (1905–1911)

Art is art, and life is life, but to live life artistically: that is the art of life. Peter Altenberg 1 In June 2009 Stoclet House complete with its furnishings and its garden was declared part of ...

MR Imaging and US of Female Urethral and Periurethral Disease

The spectrum of female urethral and periurethral disorders includes both benign and malignant entities. Establishing an accurate clinical diagnosis may be challenging because symptoms and physical findings frequently overlap among the various entities. Recent technologic advances in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and ultrasonography (US) allow more detailed evaluation of urethral and periurethral abnormalities. Advances in MR imaging hardware and pulse sequences allow high-resolution, high-contrast static and dynamic imaging of the female urethral and periurethral region in the context of the entire pelvic floor. Similarly, the introduction of high-resolution surface and intracavitary transducers in conjunction with three-dimensional acquisition have enhanced the role of US in this clinical setting. High-resolution MR imaging and real-time US have exciting potential as tools for more comprehensive analysis of the pathophysiologic features of the complex disorders that affect the female urethra and periurethral tissues.

Self-traveling robotic system for autonomous abrasive blast cleaning in double-hulled structures of ships

The aim of this paper is to propose the design, simulation, manufacture, and experimental validation of a new robotic system for fully automated blast cleaning in the double-hulled block. The entire robotic system consists of a new type of manipulator for the blast cleaning of the entire transverse web floors, and a specially developed 6-dof RRX mobile platform for self-traveling within the application area. The full cross section of the robotic system should be small enough to be placed inside the double-hulled structure, via a conventional access hole of 600 × 800-mm, from the outside shipyard floor. Moreover, the maximum height of the structures has a range of, typically, 2-m to 3-m, and the robotic platform is able to be located on the longitudinal stiffeners at a height range from 400-mm to 800-mm. Thus, the investigation of a customized manipulator, having a bi-directional stroke in order to approach the upper sections, is a most worthwhile subject in the automation of the shipbuilding process since such a system should be capable of carrying out continuous blast cleaning from the upper to the lower sections at one time, without the need for any additional operations. Throughout the field testing, significant results have been obtained, indicating that the new proposed system can successfully perform continuous blast cleaning for the entire transverse web floor and the longitudinal stiffeners without any dynamical instability of the robot platform. Proposed robotic platform, will bring great benefits to ship yard automation.

Anatomic study of prolapse surgery with nonanchored mesh and a vaginal support device

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anatomic position and relations to neighboring neurovascular structures of polypropylene implants after vaginal repair with nonanchored mesh and a vaginal support device in a cadaver model. We undertook anatomic dissection of 6 cadavers, with and without prolapse after surgery. All polypropylene implants were positioned in accordance with the prescribed surgical technique. This surgery reconstructed the entire anterior and posterior pelvic floor compartments without extension beyond the pelvic cavity. A safe distance between the implants and their neighboring neurovascular structures (obturator nerve and vessels, 2.8-3.3 cm; pudendal nerve and internal pudendal vessels, 1.8-2.2 cm; sacral plexus, 2-2.2 cm) was observed. Anatomic cadaver dissection confirmed the accurate and safe placement of the polypropylene implants with the use of the prescribed surgical technique.

Evidence for biotic controls on topography and soil production

The complex interplay of biological, physical, and chemical processes in pedogenesis and hillslope evolution limits our ability to predict and interpret landscape dynamics. Here, we synthesize a suite of observations from the steep, forested Oregon Coast Range to analyze the role of trees in topographic modification and bedrock-to-soil conversion. Using topographic data derived from airborne lidar, we demonstrate that the topographic signature of forest-driven soil and bedrock disturbance is pervasive. For length scales greater than 7.5 m, the land surface is defined by ridge-valley landforms, whereas smaller scales are dominated by pit-mound features generated by the turnover of large coniferous trees. From field surveys, the volume of bedrock incorporated in overturned rootwads increases rapidly with diameter for large conifers, reflecting the highly nonlinear increase in root biomass with tree diameter. Because trees younger than 60 years detach negligible bedrock, short timber harvest intervals may limit the extent to which root systems penetrate bedrock and facilitate bedrock fracturing and biogeochemical weathering. Using ground-penetrating radar, we show that the rootwads of large trees root achieve substantial penetration (1–3 m) into shallow bedrock. The radar transects also reveal that variations in soil thickness have characteristic length scales of 1 to 5 m, consistent with the scale of large rootwads, indicating that both the landscape surface and soil-bedrock interface exhibit a biogenic imprint. In our study area, the residence time of bedrock within dense rooting zones directly below large trees is similar to the time required for trees to occupy the entire forest floor through multiple cycles of forest succession, suggesting that biological modification of shallow bedrock is ubiquitous. Given increases in erosion rate, the ability of roots to initiate soil production may decline as bedrock exhumation through the biotic zone is rapid relative to the time required for successive forests and their associated root systems to fracture bedrock. As a result, in rapidly eroding terrain the coupling between biotic and abiotic weathering processes (such as exfoliation fracturing) may dictate the maximum rate of bedrock-to-soil conversion.

Hydrothermal circulation within the Endeavour Segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge

Areas of the seafloor at mid‐ocean ridges where hydrothermal vents discharge are easily recognized by the dramatic biological, physical, and chemical processes that characterize such sites. Locations where seawater flows into the seafloor to recharge hydrothermal cells within the crustal reservoir are by contrast almost invisible but can be indirectly identified by a systematic grid of conductive heat flow measurements. An array of conductive heat flow stations in the Endeavour axial valley of the Juan de Fuca Ridge has identified recharge zones that appear to represent a nested system of fluid circulation paths. At the scale of an axial rift valley, conductive heat flow data indicate a general cross‐valley fluid flow, where seawater enters the shallow subsurface crustal reservoir at the eastern wall of the Endeavour axial valley and undergoes a kilometer of horizontal transit beneath the valley floor, finally exiting as warm hydrothermal fluid discharge on the western valley bounding wall. Recharge zones also have been identified as located within an annular ring of very cold seafloor around the large Main Endeavour Hydrothermal Field, with seawater inflow occurring within faults that surround the fluid discharge sites. These conductive heat flow data are consistent with previous models where high‐temperature fluid circulation cells beneath large hydrothermal vent fields may be composed of narrow vertical cylinders. Subsurface fluid circulation on the Endeavour Segment occurs at various crustal depths in three distinct modes: (1) general east to west flow across the entire valley floor, (2) in narrow cylinders that penetrate deeply to high‐temperature heat sources, and (3) supplying low‐temperature diffuse vents where seawater is entrained into the shallow uppermost crust by the adjacent high‐temperature cylindrical systems. The systematic array of conductive heat flow measurements over the axial valley floor averaged ∼150 mW/m2, suggesting that only about 3% of the total energy flux of ocean crustal formation is removed by conductive heat transfer, with the remainder being dissipated to overlying seawater by fluid advection.

Orbital form analysis: problems with design and positioning of precontoured orbital implants

Inter-individual size and shape (form) variation for the orbital floor and medial wall was assessed and compared with its posterior partition. Reconstruction of the posterior partition is known to be a surgical challenge in complex orbital defect repair when using standard manual implant contouring and positioning techniques. The size variation of both regions was assessed, alone and combined, in statistical form analysis using three-dimensional computer models of left and mirrored right orbits, obtained from 70 clinical computed tomography (CT) scans of adult European Caucasians with unaffected orbits. Major shape and size variability for both regions was observed, but to a larger extent for the entire orbital floor and medial wall, with males having significantly larger regions but with no differing shape patterns. Statistical modeling was used to identify characteristic shape patterns in given orbits. The size, shape and positioning of precontoured implants are decisive criteria for the adequate repair of complex orbital defects. The results indicate that optimal form conditions for prefabricated implants exist in a restricted area corresponding to the transition of the posterior orbital floor and medial wall.

Foundation Floor Geological Mapping of a Nuclear Reactor

Foundation floor mapping is essential for very important structures to provide permanent data set for geological interpretations. Prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) is being constructing at Kalpakkam, India. Nuclear Island Connected Building (NICB) is the main nuclear safety related structure of (PFBR), and is resting on a raft of 101.5 m × 93 m size at about 20 m below the existing ground level. Geological floor mapping was prepared after the excavation. 2 m × 2 m grids were used for sampling study and mapping of the walls and floor. The floor region of this raft foundation was seen to contain certain weathered zone with fractures of thickness of in the order of 2 m. No evidences of faulting/shearing were observed on the surface of the floor area. The entire floor area was made up of compact and sound rock mass. However, there were some isolated patches of soft weathered/altered rock and small fractures in the rock. The structural features observed during the mapping exercise indicated the need for consolidation grouting so that the entire floor area function as single rock mass. This foundation geological map will assist in making better interpretation of post-construction foundation instrumentation data.

Radon exhalation from building materials for decorative use

Long-term exposure to radon increases the risk of developing lung cancer. There is considerable public concern about radon exhalation from building materials and the contribution to indoor radon levels. To address this concern, radon exhalation rates were determined for 53 different samples of drywall, tile and granite available on the Canadian market for interior home decoration. The radon exhalation rates ranged from non-detectable to 312 Bq m −2 d −1. Slate tiles and granite slabs had relatively higher radon exhalation rates than other decorative materials, such as ceramic or porcelain tiles. The average radon exhalation rates were 30 Bq m −2 d −1 for slate tiles and 42 Bq m −2 d −1 for granite slabs of various types and origins. Analysis showed that even if an entire floor was covered with a material having a radon exhalation rate of 300 Bq m −2 d −1, it would contribute only 18 Bq m −3 to a tightly sealed house with an air exchange rate of 0.3 per hour. Generally speaking, building materials used in home decoration make no significant contribution to indoor radon for a house with adequate air exchange.

Introduction: be prepared. Loss of space for medical libraries.

The following six case studies all describe situations where a health sciences library has been asked to permanently give up a considerable amount of space, usually an entire floor of the existing library, to what most would consider nonlibrary functions. The situations at these institutions vary considerably in some ways and have remarkable similarities in others. It is not the purpose of these studies to bemoan the loss of space, but rather to point out that a trend may be developing and that lessons can be learned from libraries that have undergone a loss of space. The idea that health sciences libraries “as places” will change considerably has been around for a while. In 1992, Kountz proposed that it would make more sense to purchase computers for all users than to continue to run a traditional library. He believed that the future of the library was in providing information at the point of need, not in building huge local collections [1]. Fifteen years ago, at the first National Library of Medicine “Building Symposium,” a question posed to all presenters was, “Is there a need for a physical centralized information facility in the academic health sciences center? If so, will there continue to be such a need?” [2]. Today, librarians are often asking themselves these questions. The adoption of electronic journals in place of print suggests that libraries will need less space. Is it any wonder that the administrators of academic health centers are asking the same questions [3]? In the delphi study conducted by Ludwig and Starr in 2004, 77% of the participants agreed with the statement that “By 2010, the health sciences library will no longer be thought of as primarily a physical place but as an entity that provides access to highly competent information-management professionals” [4]. Yet the physical space remains. Planning groups often suggest new uses for space that relate to the educational mission of the library and the campus. However, practical considerations have outweighed these goals in several cases, with library space becoming office space. Teaching faculty and many librarians wonder what the physical building is to become other than a study hall with a coffee bar and computer lab [5]? In the cases that follow, some requests for space came as a surprise to the library. In several cases the speed with which space had to be vacated severely limited the library's ability to plan properly. In other cases, a planning process allowed input from faculty and librarians, provided time for consideration, and generally resulted in an outcome more congruent with the library's mission. Based on this sample, it seems to be only a matter of when, not if, health sciences libraries will be asked to give up space. Although advance planning and preparation cannot always lead to the outcomes that seem most desirable for the library and the parent institution, these case studies show that, as the Boy Scouts say, it is best to “be prepared.”

Reinvisioning and redesigning “a library for the fifteenth through twenty-first centuries”: a case study on loss of space from the Library and Center for Knowledge Management, University of California, San Francisco

The University of California, San Francisco, is an academic health sciences campus that is part of a state public university system. Space is very limited at this urban campus, and the library building's 90,000 square feet represent extremely valuable real estate. A planning process spanning several years initially proposed creating new teaching space utilizing 10,000 square feet of the library. A collaborative campus-wide planning process eventually resulted in the design of a new teaching and learning center that integrates clinical skills, simulation, and technology-enhanced education facilties on one entire floor of the building (21,000 square feet). The planning process resulted in a project that serves the entire campus and strengthens the library's role in the education mission. The full impact of the project is yet unknown as construction is not complete.

Examining deep litter as environmental enrichment for a family group of wolf's guenons, Cercopithecus wolfi

Manipulable substrates promote species-typical behavior and decrease abnormal behavior in a variety of primate species. However, the effects of providing litter to arboreal primates are not as well studied, and there is little information specifically concerning enrichment for guenons. To inform the captive management of an under-studied species, we evaluated deep litter substrate as environmental enrichment for a family group of Wolf's guenons, Cercopithecus wolfi. We expected it to promote species-typical behavior and to act as an intervention by reducing aggressive behaviors targeted toward a juvenile group member by his parents. We compared the guenons' behavior during baseline periods in which normal husbandry routines were followed to periods when the entire floor of their enclosure was covered with 30 cm of straw or wood wool. We then evaluated the group's preference between litters by comparing their relative use. The guenons spent more time feeding and were more active during both litter conditions, but relative to their respective baselines, they spent more time examining straw and less time examining wood wool. Straw, but not wood wool, promoted some affiliative behavior as well as greater tolerance of the juvenile's social proximity to others. However, the addition of deep litter did not ameliorate patterns of agonistic behavior among our subjects. Our results suggest that straw conferred greater behavioral benefits than wood wool as a deep litter substrate for this guenon group and may constitute a form of environmental enrichment for this species.

The UnMousePad

Recently, there has been great interest in multi-touch interfaces. Such devices have taken the form of camera-based systems such as Microsoft Surface [de los Reyes et al. 2007] and Perceptive Pixel's FTIR Display [Han 2005] as well as hand-held devices using capacitive sensors such as the Apple iPhone [Jobs et al. 2008]. However, optical systems are inherently bulky while most capacitive systems are only practical in small form factors and are limited in their application since they respond only to human touch and are insensitive to variations in pressure [Westerman 1999]. We have created the UnMousePad, a flexible and inexpensive multitouch input device based on a newly developed pressure-sensing principle called Interpolating Force Sensitive Resistance. IFSR sensors can acquire high-quality anti-aliased pressure images at high frame rates. They can be paper-thin, flexible, and transparent and can easily be scaled to fit on a portable device or to cover an entire table, floor or wall. The UnMousePad can sense three orders of magnitude of pressure variation, and can be used to distinguish multiple fingertip touches while simultaneously tracking pens and styli with a positional accuracy of 87 dpi, and can sense the pressure distributions of objects placed on its surface. In addition to supporting multi-touch interaction, IFSR is a general pressure imaging technology that can be incorporated into shoes, tennis racquets, hospital beds, factory assembly lines and many other applications. The ability to measure high-quality pressure images at low cost has the potential to dramatically improve the way that people interact with machines and the way that machines interact with the world.

The Inside Game

The Inside Game Christopher Knopf (bio) Just east of Beverly Hills, on the north side of Santa Monica Boulevard, was a tailor shop. I say was. Whether it’s still there today, I’ve no idea, but during the ‘fifties and ‘sixties it was a Mecca for screen and TV writers. The tailor was Manny Dwork. And Manny loved writers. So much so the entire second floor of this two-story fading, yellow stucco building was a warren of offices reserved exclusively for writers of screen and TV for rentals hard to find anywhere else in town. Writers would come and go, sometimes for months, sometimes for years, yet forever returning, it seemed; some renowned, others not, but all sharing a bond and collegiality. There was Emmy-winner Phil Sharp (All in the Family); Oscar-nominees Nate Monaster (That Touch of Mink with Cary Grant and Doris Day), Arthur Ross (Brubaker with Robert Redford), and Walter Newman (Cat Ballou with Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin, Ace in the Hole with Kirk Douglas, and Man with the Golden Arm with Frank Sinatra). Walter was one of two gurus in my life, Oscar-nominee Millard Kaufman (Bad Day at Black Rock) was the other. And there Walter was in my office door telling me of an assignment he couldn’t take, but was mine if I wanted—he’d sold me to producers. Robert Mitchum playing a simple man who comes to unwanted prominence in the Irish rebellion, etc. Mitchum, at this time in the early ‘sixties, was about as hot as Hollywood offered, shooting one film, a Western, with two more in the can awaiting release. Did I want to write a screenplay for him? After thirteen years of B and C movies, and some admittedly decent television, [End Page 425] I would now be elevated into the rarefied realm of Chayefsky, Trumbo, Wilder and Brackett. This was it! My time had come! I hurriedly broke down the story and met the producer, Raymond Stross, for dinner that night. Stross was every cliché Budd Schulberg ever invented. An Englishman, there were the gaudy clothes, Cuban cigar, the beautiful hooker. Charlie Feldman’s hooker, he proudly told me. There was also the hugely seductive smile, and the enthusiastic bobbing head, and “Yes! Yes!” to everything I told him I wanted to do. Except he wasn’t listening. And he was sweating. Some things in life are pretty clear signs. Like a temperature of 103. Or Raymond Stross sweating. But I was only thirty something, and still pretty green. So I met him, as agreed, on Mitchum’s set at MGM the following day as the morning shooting wrapped for lunch, and Mitchum, looking macho as hell in Levis, hogleg, and Stetson, lunged toward us. And past us. And into his trailer, slamming the door in our faces. Stross beamed. “Isn’t he capital?” And disappeared inside. And just as quickly came out again. Came out doesn’t quite capture it. Was ejaculated seems more the word. Eight o’clock tonight at Mitchum’s office, he told me, still that grin. Mitchum’s office was on the Sunset Strip. Outside it was a hall. There I sat listening to angry voices inside. At nine o’clock the door flew open and Tay Garnett, one very prominent, red-faced director (The Postman Always Rings Twice), stormed past me and out. I was beginning to get a message. But what? At ten o’clock Stross struck his beaming, sweating face out and summoned me inside. A half dozen people were in the room. Stross. And Riva, Mitchum’s statuesque executive secretary who this night had one responsibility: keep Mitchum’s glass filled. There were the three obligatory suits from the William Morris Agency, led by the respected Phil Kellog, all looking like they’d rather be anywhere else. [End Page 426] And there was Mitchum. He hadn’t changed from the set, was still in costume. He sat mid-room in his power chair, slouched on the small of his back, legs stretched out before him, Stetson slanted down completely hiding his face, drink hanging down at his side. He made no move to look...

Whole-building behaviour of bonded post-tensioned concrete floor plates exposed to fire

Abstract This paper discusses the whole-building behaviour of post-tensioned concrete floor plates under fire conditions. Based on the results of eight fire tests on one-way spanning bonded post-tensioned concrete slab strips, recently conducted by the authors, a nonlinear finite element model was developed to model an entire typical concrete floor plate. The considered floor plate was post-tensioned using bonded tendons and was supported on traditional reinforced concrete columns. The overall objective of the study was to provide an understanding of the structural response and modes of failure of these floor plates under fire conditions. The mechanical and thermal material nonlinearities of the floor’s components, consisting of the concrete, grout, prestressing tendon, and the anchorages, as well as the reinforced concrete columns, have been considered in the model. The interface between the tendon and grout was also considered, allowing the bond behaviour to be modelled and the tendon to retain its profile shape during the deformation of the floor. The model has been validated against published finite element results on a floor plate under normal temperature conditions. The temperature distribution throughout the floor slab and supporting columns, together with the developed displacement and stress due to heating, and the overall fire resistance of the floor were predicted by the model. Furthermore, the variables that influence the structural behaviour comprising different natural fires, applied static load during fire, use of non-tensioned reinforcement, as well the difference between unbraced and braced frames were investigated in a parametric study. The study has shown that the failure mode of the floor under fire conditions is mainly due to tensile splitting along the tendons that extended to the top surface, while at ambient conditions the mode of failure is punching shear. The restraint provided by shear walls in the considered braced frame and the use of non-tensioned flexural reinforcement affected the vertical displacement behaviour under fire conditions, but did not affect the fire resistance due to the predicted tensile splitting failure mode. From the studies presented it is concluded that the design fire resistance of the floor specified in Eurocode BSEN1992-1-2 is acceptable, while that in the UK code BS8110 is unconservative and should be modified.