http://hdl.handle.net/1842/1567 2013-05-19T11:00:34Z http://hdl.handle.net/1842/5935 Title: Study of construction methodology and structural behaviour of fabric-formed form-efficient reinforced concrete beam Authors: Lee, Sang Hoon Abstract: The nature of this research is in advancing conventional structures and their methods of construction by exploring new technology. The formwork construction of the modern concrete structure involves the use of rigid materials such as steel and timber. This type of formwork often produces structures of forms with limited flexibility which would also hinder the even distribution of the induced stresses. To construct concrete structures with more organic forms; ones that responds to a more natural flow of the induced stresses, it is thought to be more logical to use flexible mould such as the fabric formwork. In such form-active shape the materials’ utilization can be maximized and the degree of material waste can be reduced. For example, when the form responds to the externally applied loads in the way that the internally incurred stresses at any point of the body closely match the capacity of the material, then the form is material-efficient and said to be in its optimal form. The use of fabric formwork, due to its permeability can also improve the quality of concrete by eliminating any air holes on the surface, and also there are reports showing the increase in concrete’s compression strength due to the reduction in water-cement ratio when cast in a fabric mould. This research concentrates on finding such material-efficient form (thus more sustainable) for reinforced concrete beam of improved material quality, through the development of the more efficient construction system of flexible fabric formwork. For this research 11 different types of beams have been built and tested in total, and their construction methods are illustrated and discussed also (Chapter 7 and Chapter 4 respectively). The designs of the beams are developed through consecutive experiment, analysis, evaluation, and modification process (Chapter 6). For the structural analysis of the beams, the most widely accepted analysis methods are reviewed and adapted (Chapter 8). Based on the evaluations of the analytical results the following variables of the beams are modified through the development of the beam designs: The effect of Compression Steel Mesh in Flange Stress Distribution Around Anchorage; Vertical and Horizontal Web Geometry Varying Depth of Flange Steel Content Also it is a part of the current research’s aim to look at the possible application of the current design methods for the design of the fabric formed beams that are discussed in this research. Thus the experimental results are compared with the results which are calculated from the standard design methods suggested by the British Standard Code of Practice (BS8110) (Chapter 9). Computational finite element (FE) analysis is carried out where more intensive analysis is required (Chapter 10). The results of the FE analysis are also compared with the theoretical and experimental results for the verification purpose. The material efficiency of the beam in its final form is assessed through the embodied energy analysis, which compares the total embodied energy consumed through the construction of the beam with a virtual beam that is designed in accordance with the BS8110 (Chapter 11). The analysis indicates that the total embodied energy of the fabric formed beam is about 20~40% less in comparison with the beam designed in accordance with the BS8110. This thesis has the purpose to illustrate and provide the practical information on the design and the construction process of the fabric formed beams, which can be used as a reference to the future research and construction. 2011-11-23T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1842/5617 Title: Experience of landscape: understanding responses to landscape design and exploring demands for the future Authors: Ward Thompson, Catharine Joan Abstract: The research that forms this thesis is a portfolio of seven published papers together with a critical review, set out below, which gives a general overview of all the work. The work covers a period from the 1990s until 2008, with publication dates spanning a decade. The research has developed from an early interest in exploring the nature of landscape experience, responses to past and contemporary landscape designs, and what benefits people might gain from engaging with such landscapes. It has also reflected a desire to raise standards of scholarship and research in landscape architecture. The portfolio of work addresses three broad themes, interconnected but requiring different approaches in terms of method: the distinctiveness of place and design responses to it; design of public open space for the 21st century; and understanding people’s engagement with the natural environment. The research addresses the following questions and is presented under these headings, each representing a different strand or focus of attention. a) History, prototypes and local distinctiveness: what is the role of historic design prototypes in contemporary landscape architecture and how can an understanding of them enhance sensitivity to local distinctiveness in new design? b) Urban open space: how can an understanding of the history of landscape design inform the way urban open space is designed, planned and managed in the 21st century and what new paradigms might there be? c) Experiencing the landscape: how do people perceive, use and respond to green landscapes in their local environment, and what factors influence engagement with and benefit from such natural environments? The outputs in this portfolio are shown to have influenced other researchers as well as policy makers and practitioners; they are reflected in citations of the work and in government agency initiatives to develop new approaches to accessing the landscape. Finally, a conceptual framework is offered for understanding and responding to people’s diverse experiences of landscape. 2010-11-26T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1842/5557 Title: Being virtual: embodiment and experience in interactive computer game play Authors: Sommerseth, Hanna Mathilde Abstract: This thesis argues that the notion of player experience in relation to computer games is intrinsically linked to the body. Taking the idea of aesthetic experience, or sensuous experience, in computer game play as its starting point, my thesis considers computer games from within an interdisciplinary cross section of phenomenology, cultural studies and visual culture. Computer games have in a reasonably short amount of time reached a stage where they are an integral part of contemporary society: historically, economically and culturally. The current field of computer games comprises a vast array of genres, styles, stories, experiments and media. Because computer games are interactive objects, I argue that an analysis should begin with a discussion of player experience, and that this experience is inherently embodied. The embodied and temporal nature of game play means it is problematic to simply transfer established frameworks of meaning making in other audiovisual media onto computer games. The thesis attempts to understand the notion of player experience through a phenomenological reading of the interactive experience, and as such I argue that the individual, temporal and iterative aspect of this experience means computer games should not necessarily be squeezed into already established categories of earlier forms of entertainment media. Through three main chapters I explore the role of the body and embodied experience from three different points of view, roughly divided into the three aspects that make up the feedback loop of game play; hardware, software and interface. Each chapter considers the unique role and importance of the body at each point in the game play process. 2010-06-29T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1842/5515 Title: Managing change: tensions between urban morphology and everyday life in the heterotopic urban context of Tainan Authors: Liu, Wei-Kuang Abstract: Urban conservation and development practices are often in conflict. This thesis examines this general claim in the context of rapid urban development in East Asia through an analysis of the postcolonial historic city of Tainan, in Southern Taiwan. Following a particular line of urban conservation scholarship (Ashworth, Larkham, Conzen) this thesis argues that urban conservation is best conceived as the management of urban change, and that change should be considered as part of urban conservation policy. The aim of such urban conservation practice would be not only to maintain the historic traditions of a place, but also to promote the development of new possibilities of place. In this sense, the treatment of historical urban fabric should aim to preserve memory and tradition as much as serving as an ‘incubator’ for new senses of place. To this end, the thesis seeks to combine morphological and everyday life approaches to urban scholarship. A sense of place is not only derived from the emotional feelings, orientation or identity attached to an existing environment, but also relies on the practices of everyday life. These practices are significant aspects of urban places, but they are often difficult to map, measure and analyse. Thus, the thesis argues, mapping the morphological changes of a city is not enough for a rounded study of the everyday life dimensions of urban space. As a result, this thesis proposes that empirical approaches to everyday life are as important as morphological studies when exploring issues of urban change. The thesis builds on a number of existing approaches to this wider issue of the interrelationship between urban morphology and everyday life. In particular, it examines the Versailles School’s approach to typomorphological study. This approach to urban analysis emphasizes morphological change and its grounding in existing typological rules of everyday space, so as to continue the everyday life culture that it supports. This thesis develops methodologies based on these principles. In addition, it draws on the concepts of time-geography and heterotopic spaces as a means of specifying the representational approaches to everyday life narratives and an understanding of postcolonial complex urbanism, respectively. Following this approach, this thesis presents a series of case studies on the historic city centre of Tainan, the ancient capital of Taiwan. As a result of its colonial past, the urban blocks in that city can be understood as heterotopias in the contemporary city. Drawing on the case studies, this thesis argues that the everyday life-style in Tainan city centre is inseparable from the existing block typology and the functional conditions that reside in the coexistence of the historical and the modern urban structures. Thus, when considering urban conservation policies, the relationship between this social spatial condition and the everyday life that it supports must be carefully considered. 2011-06-29T00:00:00Z