Smooth Tiles Research Articles

The BioGeo Ecotile: Improving biodiversity on coastal defences using a multiscale, multispecies eco-engineering design

Hard coastal defences support lower biodiversity than natural rocky shores. Ecological enhancement on coastal structures can improve biodiversity by increasing habitat heterogeneity. Most studies have investigated the effect of only one type of texture on intertidal biodiversity. There is a lack of eco-engineering designs that mimic the complexity of natural rocky shores and are scalable for real world applications and commercial manufacturing. To address these gaps, we developed a novel, multiscale (mm-cm), multispecies design called BioGeo Ecotile that is scalable and readily manufacturable. The hybrid design combines previously tested eco-engineering features (pits, holes, grooves and crevices), providing habitats for a range of intertidal organisms. To test the success of the design, Ecotiles and smooth tiles were deployed on rock armour and flood walls along Edinburgh's coast, Scotland. Post-deployment, data on species presence and abundance were collected at the start and end of the second settlement season. Textured Ecotiles supported higher species richness (F3,55 = 21.18, p < 0.001) and colonisation than smooth tiles and adjacent rock armour. Ecotiles supported more mobile species, some of which (crabs) were not recorded on the other treatments. Material type (concrete vs rock) significantly affected community composition, where concrete was dominated by fucoids and rock by barnacles. In this temperate setting, the Ecotiles have enhanced biodiversity of rock armour achieving practical conservation goals. This is the first known retrofit of tiles onto rock armour in the UK. The tiles can be scaled up to whole walls or rock armour units. We demonstrate that a science-design approach can achieve ecological and engineering goals simultaneously, which can accelerate widespread implementation of eco-engineering in large-scale projects.

Thermal performance of sculptured tiles for building envelopes

Since effective thermal insulation of buildings could significantly decrease energy consumption worldwide, this study examined the potential of concrete tiles with complex geometries at improving thermal performance in building envelopes. The study focused on air flow characteristics that occur near the external surface of the tile, and their influence on the rate of heat transfer within the material. Six groups of sculptured tiles were developed, using a systematic approach (i.e., repetition of basic geometries), biomimicry, and inspiration from natural envelopes. Air flow behavior and heat transfer rates were examined at three different wind speeds, through both experiments and computational fluid dynamics simulations using a configuration of flow impingement that can be regarded as the worst case scenario. After successfully validating the data, additional numerical simulations were conducted for all developed tiles using the Star-CCM + commercial software. The results showed an improvement in the insulation performance of about half of all the tested cases. Moreover, significant improvements were seen in the geometries that mimicked animal fur, achieving heat transfer rates that were up to 24% lower than those achieved by smooth tiles. Our results indicate that the application of such tiles with increased thermal resistance could save on thermal insulation materials and improve the thermal performance of building façades.

The impact of surface morphology on the erosion of metallic surfaces – Modelling with the 3D Monte-Carlo code ERO2.0

• The micro-scale model for simulation of the surface roughness effect on the erosion of PFCs and transport of sputtered material implemented previously into the 3D Monte-Carlo code ERO2.0 was applied for modelling of sputtering and deposition in the JET-ILW divertor conditions (smooth Tile 5 and rough Tile 6). • Micro-scale simulations have been conducted using two different assumptions: with and without tracing of incident plasma/impurity ions near the rough surface. Tracing of incident ions near the surface forms more realistic shadowing patterns than the case when this pattern is calculated based on magnetic field lines. • Simulations without tracing of incident ions have shown that surface roughness leads to a reduction of the effective sputtering yield by up to 50% depending on surface parameters. • Simulations including tracing of incident ions near the surface have confirmed decrease of the net erosion from the rough surface of the Tile 6 in comparison to the smoother surface of the Tile 5 by up to 50%. The roughness of metallic surfaces has a vital impact on the erosion of plasma-facing materials. Roughness determines the effective sputtering yield Y eff of the facing material. The angular/energy distribution of sputtered particles, and the spatial erosion and deposition distribution. The model for simulation the effect of the surface roughness was earlier implemented into the 3D Monte-Carlo code ERO2.0 and validated using results of ion beam experiments and experiments in the linear plasma device PSI-2. In the present study the developed ERO2.0 surface morphology model was applied to the JET-ILW tungsten (W) divertor consisting of smooth bulk W and W-coated CFC components. Influence of the surface roughness on the W erosion as well as on the transport of sputtered material in conditions of inclined magnetic field was investigated. Simulation results are in a good agreement with existing experimental findings.

A new feature extraction process based on SFTA and DWT to enhance classification of ceramic tiles quality

We propose a combination of image processing methods to detect ceramic tiles defects automatically. The primary goal is to identify faults in ceramic tiles, with or without texture. The process consists of four steps: preprocessing, feature extraction, optimization, and classification. In the second step, gray-level co-occurrence matrix, segmentation-based fractal texture analysis, discrete wavelet transform, local binary pattern, and a novel method composed of segmentation-based fractal texture analysis and discrete wavelet transform are applied. The genetic algorithm was used to optimize the parameters. In the classification step, k-nearest neighbor, support vector machine, multilayer perceptron, probabilistic neural network, and radial basis function network were assessed. Two datasets were used to validate the proposed process, totaling 782 ceramic tiles. In comparison with the other feature extraction methods commonly used, we demonstrate that the use of SFTA with DWT had a remarkable increase in the overall accuracy, without compromising computational time. The proposed method can be executed in real time on actual production lines and reaches a defect detection accuracy of 99.01% for smooth tiles and 97.89% for textured ones.

Ciudad Grande (Big City) by Tuline G�lg�nen Ana �lvarez (review)

Film Review: Ciudad Grande (Big City) 180 Ciudad Grande (Big City) A film by Tuline Gülgönen and Ana Álvarez (2017). Mexico City: Center of Mexican and Central American Studies and the French Embassy in Mexico. 31 minutes. https://ciudad-grande-documental.tumblr.com What we know of Mexico City, a megacity of nine million people, tends to be gained from socio-spatial descriptors: congestion, population, density, air pollution, crime. Yet here, in the 31-minute film Ciudad Grande, producers/directors Tuline Gülgönen and Ana Álvarez set out to show us how children observe and experience the city, through the eyes of five sets of children living in vastly different delegations of the city. In so doing, they show us poignant vignettes not only of the challenges of their lives, but also the opportunities and potentials of the city as a place for children. The film is loosely organized into three sections that juxtapose children’s experiences moving about, playing in public spaces, and experiencing nature in the city. Our entry to Mexico City looks like this: Riding the bus through the maze of Mexico City traffic while reading aloud the advertisements and store names we pass by. Chipping icy fruit treats with a wrench in a worn colonial courtyard. Kicking a ball in a quiet street with the backdrop of dogs barking and the green hills above Iztapalapa. Scootering through the tree-lined and cobbled streets of Coyoacán. Roller-blading through the smooth tile halls of a high-rise, talking through a walkie-talkie to mom. In the first five minutes, we see just how different these children’s experiences are. The producers’ technique of using drones to zoom in and out from children’s experiences helps us to witness children’s lives not only from the child’s perspective but also from the urban context in which they live. These aerial views give a sense of the urban form, greenery, topography, and density of each neighborhood and help us relate this context directly to children’s experiences of the city. This technique also helps us transition from one zone of the city to another. We leave the social play of children in a colonial courtyard playing a hand-clap game, laughing as they sing, “my school, my home, the WORLD!” and move to the isolation of life in the high rise with one girl peering through plate glass windows out at the megacity saying, “Here there is a swimming pool, two Jacuzzis, and a changing room.” Through the plate glass, we see an empty pool; an outdoor courtyard with glass walls several stories high separates the development from its surrounding community. Film Review: Ciudad Grande (Big City) 181 What was documented in 1980 by Berg and Medrich—that children in more affluent neighborhoods within the city of Oakland, California, were more isolated in their play than children in a more degraded but socially networked part of the city— continues to be true in many cities today. In Ciudad Grande, we see this in the experiences of a child in the isolation of her high rise; children being escorted through streets, by bus, by car, by family members; and children who are able to move about on their own. These variations lead to different experiences of the city: watching the city through the windows of a bus; making a pretend call from the phone on the sidewalk as you pass by; playing ball with a friend until someone tells you “watch out: someone is watching you.” There is no one city, only distinct experiences of it. Producer Tuline Gülgönen has also studied children’s experiences of the street and public spaces with colleague Yolanda Corona. Together, they describe children in more affluent neighborhoods having significantly less independent mobility than children in a less affluent one. In Ciudad Grande, we experience these differences directly and profoundly. In their research, Gülgönen and Corona (2015) also found that children’s ideal vision of the city was one with extensive nature. The aerial views in the film help us to see the greenery and topography of each delegation, and children’s small scale experiences of...

Biomineralisation during operculum regeneration in the polychaete Spirobranchus lamarcki

Formation of calcified biominerals is widespread in marine animals and is often associated with important elements of their biology, such as support and protection. Serpulid polychaetes are relatively understudied examples of biomineralisation despite their prominence in many marine ecosystems. An investigation of calcification in the regenerating opercular plate of the serpulid polychaete Spirobranchus (formerly Pomatoceros) lamarcki was performed using optical microscopy, calcein labelling and powder diffraction analysis. Worms were collected between January 2012 and June 2013 from East Sands beach, St Andrews, Scotland (56.33°N, 2.78°W). The earliest visible signs of calcification were birefringent grains. Later-stage regenerates displayed a complex mixture of calcified structures including grains, round, smooth tiles, and larger tiles with a rugged appearance. The plate matures by the growth and eventual merging of tiles into a contiguous crust. Calcein pulse-chase experiments showed the progression of calcification from the centre towards the edge of the plate, and powder diffraction analysis of three regenerative stages revealed a major shift in mineralogy from a predominantly calcitic to a predominantly aragonitic composition. The mechanisms underlying the shift are currently unknown. These are the first mineralogical data comparing different developmental stages in a serpulid operculum and contribute to the understanding of biomineralisation in this group.

Forward Reflection Characteristics of Typical Smooth Building Walls and the Simulation Analysis

Non-line-of-sight optical imaging technology is a novel application of imaging technology developed recently, achieving the effective imaging of the corner, basements and other scenes which are difficult to be directly observed by traditional vision with intermediate reflective surface. Smooth building walls, such as tiles and marbles, are typical intermediate reflective surfaces. Because reflecting surface is neither ideal specular reflective nor Lambertian reflective, the reflection characteristics of the intermediate reflective surface have a significant impact on the non-line-of-sight imaging. Based on the test data of the spectral bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of common smooth tiles, the surface transfer function and angle spread function of smooth tiles are established according to the Harvey-Shack surface scatter theory in the paper. And the descriptions of the characteristics of specular reflection and forward scattering are implemented. Furthermore, according to the measured BRDF data at a certain wavelength for a certain angle of incidence, we can predict the reflection and scattering distribution at any other wavelengths or for other incident angles. The simulation results indicate that the curves fitted by the model basically are in agreement with the measured data, so that the simulation of the specular reflection and the forward scattering in the model is valid.

Generation of coherent mosaic animations: enhancement and evaluation of temporal coherence

ABSTRACTAlthough the creation static mosaic‐like images from non‐mosaic input has been studied, satisfactory methods to maintain and evaluate the temporal coherence of tiles for mosaic animations have remained elusive. Here, we describe a method that successfully generates mosaic animations from videos by applying a temporally and spatially coherent tile‐arrangement technique. We arrange tiles on the basis of the feature lines extracted from video input. We then animate the tiles along the motion of the video, add and delete tiles to preserve the tile density, and smooth tile color via frames. Finally, we propose indices to evaluate the temporal coherence of video‐based animations, and show that our animations are temporally coherent. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Texture mechanisms and microstructure of biaxial thin films grown by oblique angle deposition

AbstractIn order to understand the texture formation mechanism in thin films grown under oblique angle deposition (OAD), TiAlN films were deposited at room temperature (RT) under various incident angles. We show that both in‐plane and out‐of‐plane crystallographic orientations respond strongly to the deposition angle. For α = 0°, the pole figures show a (111) and (200) mixed out‐of‐plane orientation with random in‐plane alignment. In contrast, under OAD, inclined textures are observed with the (111) direction moving toward the incident flux direction and the (200) moving away, showing substantial in‐plane alignment. This observation suggests that TiAlN crystals prefer to grow with the (200) direction perpendicular to the substrate while maintaining the minimization of the surface free energy by maximizing the (111) surface area toward the incident flux. The in‐plane texture, which is randomly oriented at normal incidence, gives rise to two preferred orientations under oblique angles – one along the direction of flux and other away from the deposition source. The biaxial texture results from a competition among texture mechanism related to surface mobilities of adatoms, geometrical and directional effects. The surface and cross‐section of the films were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). OAD films develop a kind of smooth tiles of a roof structure, with no faceted crystallites. The columns of these films were tilted toward the direction of incident flux. The dependence of (111) texture tilt angle and column angle β on the incidence flux angle α is evaluated using four well‐known models. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study reveals a voided, intercolumnar structure with oblique growth toward the flux direction. The selected area diffraction pattern (SAED) pattern supports the pole figure observations. Measurements of the nanoindentation test were performed in order to discuss the change of mechanical properties as a function of incident flux angle.

中間波長帯を使用した赤外線法による外壁剥離診断の実験的研究

This paper studies characters of thermograph, which measured by three band wavelength infrared rays on the diagnosis for external walls. For smooth surface, long-wave band and short-wave band receive influence from the reflection. Other way, middle-wave band hardly receive the reflection, by function of the air as the filter to cut noise origin. So, middle-wave band has the advantage to diagnose smooth tile surface. And it's hopeful to improve the precision to find removed tile.

Audio system design for cruise ships

The design of audio systems for cruise ships introduce several acoustic challenges. The two leading challenges to overcome are ambient noise level and specular reflections. Ambient noise levels can reach 55 dBA and in many cases, higher. A majority of these noises are caused by engine vibrations, and HVAC which tends to be the leading cause of high noise floor levels. Audio systems are designed to compensate for such high ambient noise levels by distributing sound levels selectively throughout the facility. Another challenge to audio system design is specular reflections. This reflection is a delayed audible signal bounced off a surface at equal to or slightly less than the level of the direct sound with time as the variable. The problems caused by these reflections can vary from tonal coloration to echoes. Many surface materials not found in traditional showrooms can have very low absorption coefficients around the 1000 Hz–4000 Hz margin. Such surface materials include heavy plated glass windows, smooth tile flooring, etc. Interaction with the Interior Architect is crucial when designing the audio system. Many of these common problems can be minimized by room modeling through computer simulators for acoustics in the design phase.

Larval size, case construction and crawling velocity at different substratum roughness in three scraping caddis larvae

The adaptive importance of case constructions for the crawling behaviour of three coexisting Trichoptera with scraping larvae, Agapetus fuscipes (Glossosomatidae), Apatania fimbriata and Drusus annulatus (Limnephilidae), from a first-order stream was studied with respect to larval biomass, case composition, substratum roughness and crawling velocity. Larval biomass differed among the species, with A. fuscipes carrying a relatively heavy case compared to A. fimbriata and D. annulatus. The organic portion of the mineral case, mainly silk, was lower in A. fuscipes than in the two limnephilid species. The number of particles per case was lower, and the size range of the sand grains selected was higher in A. fuscipes than in the limnephilid larvae. Large sand grains were not selected by the limnephilid larvae, but contributed to the relatively high mass of the A. fuscipes cases. The energetic costs of case construction (silk: biomass) were not significantly different between species. Species-specific crawling velocity on substrata without biofilms correlated positively with larval size, and negatively with the relationship between case and larval mass. Crawling velocity and crawling distance were significantly less on rough than on smooth tiles, especially with A. fuscipes and A. fimbriata. These two species searched more intensively for food on rough than on smooth tiles. The species-specific differences in case construction and crawling behaviour seem to he important for resource partitioning and habitat use in these scrapers, enabling them to coexist.

On the effect of tile size and surface texture on recruitment pattern and density of the barnacle, Semibalanus balanoides

The aim of this work was to analyse the stratigraphic recruitment pattern of S. balanoides on smooth and textured surfaces, determine the effect of varying tile area on recruitment density and relate the results to larval behaviour, and identify other factors affecting within‐tile variation in recruitment, including panel size and frame design. A set of polyester tiles was manufactured in four textures, viz. smooth, fine, medium and coarse. In addition, a set of smooth polyester tiles of 5 different sizes was also made. Both sets of tiles were deployed intertidally in the Clyde Sea, UK. The smooth tiles of the textured array showed a significant systematic decline in the number of recruits from top to bottom in 1 cm vertical strata. For the tiles of varying size, recruit density ranked 20 × 20 cm tiles > 10 × 10 cm > 5 × 5 cm >2 × 2 cm > 1 × 1cm. A consistent strati‐graphic pattern was found on the 20 × 20 cm tiles. It is suggested that on substrata lacking significant surface texture, a positive phototaxis by cyprids during exploratory behaviour leads to a net vertical movement, causing an increased number of recruits towards the top of the tile; this contrasts with the behaviour of cyprids on textured surfaces. It is recommended that settlement panels should be at least 10 × 10 cm to permit exploratory behaviour of cyprids on relatively texture‐free surfaces and that the means of attachment of tiles or panels and frame design need to be carefully considered.

Short-Term Colonization of Rough and Smooth Tiles by Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Algae (Chlorophyll a) in Two Streams

We examined the importance of substratum texture and the colonization dynamics of stream macroinvertebrates and algae (measured as chlorophyll a) using artificial substrata and two sampling designs in two ecologically different streams. Rough and smooth clay tiles were used in two short-term colonization studies, which were conducted in a 2nd-order Rocky Mountain foothill stream and a 2nd-order stream in the boreal mixed woodland of Alberta, Canada. At both streams, two sampling designs were used concurrently: (1) simultaneous placement and sequential removal of substrata, and (2) sequential placement and simultaneous removal of substrata. Three hypotheses were tested: there was no difference in the density of macroinvertebrates or quantity of chlorophyll a (1) on rough and smooth tiles, (2) for different colonization periods (1-14 d), and (3) for both sampling designs. Density of most macroinvertebrates and the quantity of chlorophyll a was greater on the rough tiles in both sampling designs and in both streams. Both sampling designs gave consistent results for the effect of texture for most taxa over eight colonization periods. Similar results for the sampling designs and in both streams provide strong evidence for the importance of substratum texture in streams. Some macroinvertebrate colonization patterns indicated early and late colonizers, while other patterns indicated no colonization trend. Several taxa showed similar trends in colonization to the quantity of chlorophyll a on the tiles. But after 1-4 d, when there was little chlorophyll a on the tiles (mean chlorophyll a < 0.1 μg/cm²), density of total number of organisms and most taxa was greater on rough tiles than on smooth tiles in both sampling designs. In contrast to most macroinvertebrates, Epeorus (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae) nymphs were more abundant on smooth tiles than on rough tiles.

The Effects of Substrate Texture, Grazing, and Disturbance on Macroalgal Establishment in Streams

Two common macroalgae, Cladophora glomerata (a filamentous chlorophyte) and Nostoc parmeloides (a colonial cyanobacterium), are strongly associated with rough substrates in Rattlesnake Creek, a second—order stream in coastal Santa Barbara County, California. To test the hypothesis that rough texture reduces algal mortality from invertebrate grazers and from winter storms, we conducted a series of experiments on two substrate types (titles) that varied only in surface heterogeneity. The dominant grazer, the caddisfly Agapetus celatus, was excluded from tiles using petroleum jelly barriers, and algal establishment was compared with that on control tiles; grazing experments were repeated during spring and autumn. In a separate experiment, storm scouring was simulated by manually scrubbing naturally colonized rough and smooth tiles at different intervals (7 wk, 3 wk, and once, with an undisturbed control) from December to June, during which algal establishment and survival were monitored. In the absence of Agapetus, Cladophora was found nearly equally on rough and smooth surfaces. Grazers strongly reduced Cladophora establishment on all surfaces (often by &gt;80%); texture did not generally influence grazing effects in autumn, but refuges (pits) greatly increased algal survival in spring when recruitment was greater. Two other grazing insects (Baetis spp. and Micrasema) increased on exclusion tiles, apparently due to competitive release, but did not eliminate effects of Agapetus. Manual disturbance at 3— and 7—wk intervals kept Cladophora densities much lower than on control and once—scoured tiles. Densities were higher on rough tiles, but the interaction between disturbance and texture was not significant for macroalgae; however, microscopic examination showed that basal filaments, and new sporelings, were protected within depressions. Nostoc attained densities in autumn of °50—100 colonies/100 cm2 on rough tiles and was virtually absent from smooth tiles. Unlike Cladophora, Nostoc was little affected by grazing, but was greatly reduced by disturbance. Rough texture provided minor protection, but mature Nostoc formed basal crusts that resisted disturbance, thereby maintaining space in the absence of severe scour. Substrate heterogeneity provides refuges from herbivory and disturbance for establishing macroalgae. While it increasingly appears that herbivory plays a profound role in determining algal dynamics in streams, herbivores and substrate texture may also interact to modify the rate and direction of benthic succession. By inhibiting the establishment of intermediate taxa (e.g., Cladophora), grazers may restrict succession on smooth substrates to an early, diatom—dominated assemblage, or accelerate dominance by later taxa (e.g., Nostoc) on rugose substrates.

Roughness and color of artificial substratum particles as possible factors in colonization of stream invertebrates

We tested the null hypothesis that neither roughness nor color of artificial substrata (tiles) affects abundance of stream invertebrates colonizing these substrata. The studies were carried out in a third-order aspen-parkland stream and first- and second-order foothills streams of Alberta, Canada. Dark-colored tiles were slightly more attractive to some colonizing invertebrates than light-colored tiles, but results were not conclusive. Generally, more individuals and more taxa were found on the rough tiles than on the smooth tiles. And several taxa were found in significantly (P ≤ 0.05) larger numbers on the rough tiles. Chironomids, especially, had a strong preference for the rough tiles. A major exception was heptageniid (Ephemeroptera) nymphs, which were consistently found in larger numbers on the smooth tiles.