Divided into two parts. The first part deals with issues relating to the characterization and the rational definition of seismic input and begins with a study of earthquake records that leads to the identification of their damage potential parameters such as the peak ground acceleration and the strong motion duration. Subsequent chapters concern themselves with the deterministic and probabilistic methodologies for producing seismic inputs. Further chapters are dedicated to the generation of artificial seismic input on the basis of stochastic or probabilistic approaches. The second part of this volume deals with ground motion effects on foundation elements and structural integrity. Particular emphasis is given to the interaction of foundation piles with vibrating soils, homogeneous or heterogeneous. The final two chapters are concerned with the possible connection between soil structure interaction (SSI) and structural damage. In both instances records of actual earthquake induce motion are used for such assessments.

Earthquake Ground Motion: Input Definition for Aseismic Design (Wit Transactions on State-of-the-Art in Science and Engineering)

Science & Math

S. Syngellakis

Earth Sciences

Wit Press/Computational Mechanics

Biomass is a continuously renewed source of energy formed from or by a wide variety of living organisms. Through biochemical and thermochemical processes, it is converted into gaseous, liquid or solid biofuels, which already meet a significant share of the current world energy needs. Because of their contribution to the sustainability of energy supply, reduction of green house gas emissions as well as local employment and energy self-reliance, research interest and activity in enhancing biofuel energy output, efficiency and performance remain strong. The first part of this volume comprises five articles mainly concerned with biomass resource potential and management. More specifically, the reported investigations assess grass and lawn substrates, rapeseed straw and microalgae from Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor effluents as possible sources of biogas, bioethanol and biodiesel, respectively. The emphasis in the subsequent group of eleven articles is on biomass conversion processes, aiming at assessing performance as well as output quality and diversity. Biodiesel, a fluid biofuel produced from biomass with high lipids such as rapeseed oil, sunflowers and soy beans, is the focus of two articles: the first investigates the effect of biodiesel blending with diesel fuel on diesel engine performance and emissions, the second assesses the efficiency of catalytic reforming of biodiesel into a gaseous mixture, used directly as Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) fuel. In the last three articles, the prospects of biofuels as viable sources of energy are examined within European contexts. This volume addresses a significant number of important themes and thus combines subject breadth and density with in-depth study of biomass resourcing and processing as well as the issue of biofuel and renewable energy sustainability.

Biomass to Biofuels (WIT Transactions State-of-the-art in Science and Engineering)

Biological Sciences

"Waste to Energy" deals with the very topical subject of converting the calorific content of waste material into useful forms of energy. It complements and, to a certain degree, overlaps with its companion volume, "Biomass to Biofuels", since a significant proportion of biomass converted to energy nowadays originates from various types of waste. The material in the first, more substantial part of the volume has been arranged according to the type of process for energy conversion. Biochemical processes are described in six articles. These relate to the production of methane by anaerobic digestion; reactor conversion efficiencies; investigations on ethanol production from biodegradable municipal solid waste through hydrolysis and fermentation; hydrogen production from glucose through a hybrid anaerobic and photosynthetic process; biodiesel production from used cooking oil through base-catalyzed transesterification. Conversions by thermochemical processes are discussed in the subsequent eleven articles of the volume. These cover combustion, the direct use of heat energy; using the heat produced in thermal power stations for steam and, ultimately, electricity generation; municipal solid waste and refuse-derived fuel. In another article, computational fluid dynamics modelling is applied to assess the influence of process parameters and to perform optimization studies. A group of articles deal with more complex thermochemical processes involving combustion combined with pyrolysis and gasification. Two articles focus on biofuels as feed for fuel cells. In the last six articles, the emphasis is on management and policy rather than technical issues.

Waste to Energy

Engineering & Transportation

Engineering

Natural Filler and Fibre Composites comprises a collection of articles dedicated to a range of materials with natural constituents, currently attracting considerable interest among researchers and engineers due to their environmental advantages. The purpose of the collection is to disseminate knowledge about and insight into the composition, structure, manufacture and properties of these materials in order to facilitate progress towards their further development as well as their wider adoption in engineering practice. A wide range of issues is addressed starting with a review of treatments and properties that render several plant fibers applicable to engineering design. The volume includes several accounts of advanced manufacturing processes involving cellulose nanofibers and nanocrystals as well as micro-fibrillated cellulose as reinforcing substances. Another innovative process begins with the manufacture of composite fabric through plaiting a polymer fiber around natural yarn; this fabric is subsequently heat molded into a fiber-reinforced composite. Special molding techniques for combining jute fibers and rice straw with a biodegradable matrix are the focus of a number of articles. Biodegradability is another important issue addressed. The biomass carbon ratio is defined as a measure of biodegradability and its value determined for certain composites; the degradation process is assessed under simulated and natural weathering exposures. Experimental results are provided on mechanical and thermal properties of various fibers and composites reinforced with them. In particular, the described investigations concern the performance of such composites under tension and flexure, their fracture behavior, their impact resistance and their thermal conductivity.In summary, this volume describes a wide variety of innovative manufacturing processes, involving many natural materials, used both as reinforcement and matrix, as well as composite performance assessments under various conditions. As such, it is expected to make a valuable reference publication for engineers and scientists interested in the development and industrial applications of environmentally friendly composites.

Natural Filler and Fibre Composites: Development and Characterisation

Dedicated to the study of advanced composites, the articles collected in this volume encompass various constituent materials, types of reinforcement and manufacturing techniques, as well as characterisation methods and objectives.Split into three main groupings this book includes articles on the topics of: fibre performance improvements and assessment of the respective processes, composite performance enhancement through novel manufacturing techniques and finally, characterization; including investigations into mechanical performance, thermal characteristics and electromagnetic interference shielding in polymers reinforced with glass fibers and carbon nanotubes.You will find Composites: Advances in Manufacture and Characterization to be a valued addition to your literature on the topic. The book forms an indispensable resource for use by scientists and engineers in the higher education sector as well as to members of private agencies and industrial organizations concerned with new material production for advanced technological applications.

Composites: Advances in Manufacture and Characterisation (WIT Transactions on State-of-the-Art in Science and Engineering)

Computers & Technology

Software

Presented at the 1st International Conference on Urban Growth and the Circular Economy that was held in Alicante, Spain the papers included in this book focus on the continuing and rapid growth of cities and their regions of influence and how that has led to the need to find new solutions which allow for promoting their sustainable development.The quest for the Sustainable City has until recently focused on the efficient use of resources with the application of technical advances giving rise to the definition of SMART Cities. The economic model emphasised however is still “linear” in the sense that the design and consumption follows the pattern of extraction of natural resources, manufacturing, product usage and waste disposal.The continuous growth of urban population has recently given rise to the emergence of a new model which responds better to the challenges of natural resource depletion as well as waste management. This model has been called the “circular economy”.The circular economy is a recent concept based on the reuse of what up to now has been considered wastes, reintroducing them into the productive cycle. The objective of the circular economy is to reduce consumption and achieve savings in terms of raw materials, water and energy, thus contributing to the preservation of resources in order to reach sustainable development.One of the most important of these resources is water which is becoming a scarce commodity in an ever expanding world whose population demands a better standard of living. Water is required for agricultural purposes as well as by industry, in addition to its use by the general population. The recycling of water is an essential component of the circular economy.There is no possibility for the success of a long term economic policy without addressing the problems of natural resources and environmental pollution, which will affect the reuse of materials and products.The current market economy based on a linear model from resource extraction, manufacturing, consumption and waste disposal, has not proved a long term suitable solution, in spite of the substantial efforts made in reducing its environmental impacts. This is largely due to the continuous population growth, in a society that demands high standards of living, thus requiring an ever increasing share of natural resources.

Urban Growth and the Circular Economy (Wit Transactions on the Built Environment)

Business & Money

Economics

Papers presented at the 1st International Conference on Urban Agriculture and City Sustainability are contained in this book. The research reviews ways in which urban agriculture can contribute to achieve sustainable cities and considers ways of reducing the impact in terms of use of natural resources, waste production and climate change.The increasing number of people in cities requires new strategies to supply the necessary food with limited provision of land and decreasing resources. This will become more challenging unless innovative solutions for growing and distributing food in urban environments are considered.The scale of modern food production has created and exacerbated many vulnerabilities and the feeding of cities is now infinitely more complex. As such the food system cannot be considered secure, ethical or sustainable.In the last few years there has been a rapid expansion in initiatives and projects exploring innovative methods and processes for sustainable food production. The majority of these projects are focused on providing alternative models that shift the power back from the global food system to communities and farmers improving social cohesion, health and wellbeing. It is therefore not surprising that more people are looking towards urban farming initiatives as a potential solution.These initiatives have demonstrated that urban agriculture has the potential to transform our living environment towards ecologically sustainable and healthy cities. Urban agriculture can also contribute to energy, natural resources, land and water savings, ecological diversity and urban management cost reductions.The impact urban agriculture can have on the shape and form of our cities has never been fully addressed. The studies included in this volume look at how cities embed these new approaches and initiatives, as part of new urban developments and show that a city regeneration strategy is critical.

Urban Agriculture and City Sustainability

Industries

The future of energy production, operation and management in a changing world is a major global topic. The papers contained in this volume were presented at the 4th International Conference on Energy Production and Management - The Quest for Sustainable Energy and focus on the comparison of conventional energy sources, particularly hydrocarbons, with a number of other ways of producing energy, such as new technological developments based on renewable resources such as solar, hydro, wind and geothermal.A key issue is the conversion of new sustainable sources of energy into useful forms (electricity, heat, fuel), while finding efficient ways of storage and distribution. In many cases the challenges lie as much with production of such renewable energy at an acceptable cost, including damage to the environment, as with integration of those resources into the existing infrastructure.This book features research on the ways in which more efficient use can be made of both conventional and new energy sources. This relates to savings in energy consumption, reduction of energy losses, as well as the implementation of smart devices and the design of intelligent distribution networks.Various topics are covered including: Energy and the city; Energy security; Energy distribution; Energy networks; Processing of oil and gas emissions; Pipelines; Renewable energies; Energy use in building; Tight energy fields; Energy and climate change; Biomass and biofuels; Environmental sustainability; Energy business; LNG.

Energy Production and Management in the 21st Century IV: The Quest for Sustainable Energy (Wit Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, Vol 246)

Technology

Current events help to emphasise the importance of the analysis and management of risk to planners and researchers around the world. Natural hazards such as floods, earthquakes, landslides, fires and others have always affected human societies. The more recent emergence of the importance of man-made hazards is a consequence of the rapid technological advances made in the last few centuries. The interaction of natural and anthropogenic risks adds to the complexity of the problems.Presented at the 12th International Conference on Risk Analysis and Hazard Mitigation, the included research works cover a variety of topics related to risk analysis and hazard mitigation, associated with both natural and anthropogenic hazards.

Risk Analysis XII (Wit Transactions on Engineering Sciences, Vol 129) (Wit Transactions on Engineering Sciences, 129)

Computer Science

A continuous requirement for better urban transport systems and the need for a healthier environment has resulted in an increasing demand for new solutions. Innovative systems, new approaches and original ideas need to be thoroughly tested and critically evaluated before they can be implemented in practice. Moreover, there is a growing need for integration with telecommunications systems and IT applications in order to improve safety, security and efficiency. This volume also addresses the need to solve important pollution problems associated with urban transport in order to achieve a healthier environment.The variety of topics covered by the included research works, which were presented at the 26th International Conference on Urban Transport and the Environment, reflect the complex interaction of urban transport systems with their environment and the need to establish integrated strategies. The goal is to arrive at optimal socio-economic solutions while reducing the negative environmental impacts of current transportation systems.

Urban Transport XXVI (WIT Transactions on the Built Environment, Vol 200)

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Books by S. Syngellakis