International Journal of Disaster Resilience in The Built Environment, Jun 8, 2015
Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to outline different notions of the term resilience used in... more Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to outline different notions of the term resilience used in scientific disciplines and consequently explore how the concept can be applied to energy systems. The concept of resilience has emerged recently in scientific discourse. The major questions to be addressed are: Which definitions and underlying concepts of resilience are used in the scientific literature? How can resilience be defined with respect to energy systems and which underlying principles can be identified?Design/methodology/approach– Building on this understanding, characteristics of the resilience concept used in various contexts are described and a methodology for selection of an indicator set for an energy resilience assessment is presented. The methodology for a resilience assessment outlined in this paper requires definition and clustering of a set of indicators describing a resilient system. It contributes to understanding system properties and supports the theory of how to improve system resilience.Findings– It is argued that resilience can be defined as a function of vulnerability and adaptability, therefore increasing adaptability or reducing vulnerability can cause higher system resilience. Further attributes, determinants and properties of resilient systems to guide indicator selection and classification are suggested.Originality/value– Definitions of resilience, vulnerability and adaptability are very much interlinked. A novel framework is proposed to foster the understanding of the interlinkage between these three terms and to cluster indicators to assess energy system resilience.
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami affected 5% of Sri Lanka's schools, severely damaging 108 and destr... more The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami affected 5% of Sri Lanka's schools, severely damaging 108 and destroying 74. The catastrophe highlighted the critical role of schools in providing educational continuity during community recovery. Sri Lanka has since rehabilitated and rebuilt most of the destroyed schools along the coastline. However, there is a limited understanding of current levels of school exposure to tsunami. This hampers preparedness and risk reduction interventions that can improve community and educational tsunami resilience. This paper presents a multidisciplinary school exposure database relevant to both vulnerability and loss modelling. The repository includes data on 38 schools and 86 classroom buildings, surveyed across the coastal districts of Ampara, Batticaloa and Galle in Sri Lanka, which were heavily affected by the 2004 tsunami. A new engineering rapid visual survey tool is presented that was used to conduct the physical assessment of schools for the exposure repository. School damage mechanisms observed in past tsunami inform the survey forms, which are designed to capture information at both school compound and building levels. The tsunami engineering survey tools are universally applicable for the visual assessment of schools exposed to tsunami. The surveys show that most Sri Lankan school buildings can be classified into three building archetypes. This means that future risk assessments can be conducted considering a small number of index buildings that are based on these archetypes with differing partition arrangements and structural health conditions. The surveys also raise three significant concerns. Firstly, most schools affected by the 2004 tsunami remain in the same exposed locations without any consideration for tsunami design or strengthening provisions. Secondly, Sri Lankan schools are fragile to tsunami loading and many of the schools in the Galle district suffer from severe corrosion, which will further affect their tsunami vulnerability. Thirdly, schools do not appear prepared for tsunami, and do not have adequate tsunami warnings nor evacuation protocols in place. These observations raise the urgent need to mitigate tsunami risk, including a holistic plan for tsunami retrofitting and for interventions to improve the tsunami preparedness of schools in Sri Lanka. KEYWORDS tsunami school exposure, tsunami engineering rapid visual survey, Sri Lanka tsunami, Indian Ocean tsunami 2004, school typologies, school tsunami vulnerability
Using historical data, it is shown that tsunamis may not occur for earthquake magnitudes even up ... more Using historical data, it is shown that tsunamis may not occur for earthquake magnitudes even up to Mw = 8. Field data can be used to arrive at generalized fragility curves for different materials of construction as functions of inundation depth. Such curves can also be integrated into vulnerability curves that can be characterized by simple negative exponential equations. It is also possible to create synthetic fragility curves generated by Monte Carlo simulation, which were found to have a reasonable fit with the empirical ones. While most simulations focus only on the structural frames in buildings, partitions can also play a significant role in damage mechanisms. There is also a role for simplified indices of either risk or robustness, based ideally on physics rather than expert opinion. Such indices can also be used to consider risk to an entire system, for example buildings, functions and backup services that are spread across adjacent coastline hospitals.
Depth vs. damage curves were developed for a flood risk assessment carried out in Colombo, Sri La... more Depth vs. damage curves were developed for a flood risk assessment carried out in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The major elements of the damage assessment comprised building fabrics, building contents, distributed infrastructure and vehicles. Current approaches to damage function development were improved on by separating damage to building fabric and contents; using actual building footprints rather than assigning building functions to city zones; assessing infrastructure damage accurately; and incorporating damage to vehicles. Information sources included infrastructure agencies, bills of quantities for buildings, expert consultations, household surveys and insurance agencies. The building fabric was assigned three categories, namely semi-permanent, single storey and two storey. The building contents were classified into 7 types based on function as warehouse/storage, industrial, shops, offices, residential, educational and health. The proportion of contents asset values to that of the fabric ranged from 1.67 for warehouse/storage to 0.20for educational. Both 'what-if' analyses and historic data were used to generate the curves. Data were obtained as losses per unit area or unit length; or as point losses.For the 140 square km urban area, the generated flood damages ranged from USD 37 to 549 million for return periods from 5 to 100 years, with average inundation depths ranging from 0.48 m to 1.28 m (and outliers up to 5.8 m). The total non-residential to residential building damage increased with return period (and together accounted for 75-85% of damage). The residential contents to fabric damage ratio was generally around 1.5. The percentage damage to infrastructure was not very significant, although that to vehicles was, especially at lower return periods.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, 2019
Karl Popper argued that the scientific method was cyclic in nature; and that the growth of scient... more Karl Popper argued that the scientific method was cyclic in nature; and that the growth of scientific knowledge took place when we focused on the falsification of theories, as opposed to their verification. We demonstrate here the relevance of these ideas to engineering processes and approaches, which can be seen as cyclic problem solving. The notion of failure plays a vital role, both in the design process and in the wider growth of engineering knowledge. Examples are given of real world failures and their contribution to the growth of knowledge in various aspects of engineering. We also show how some of these concepts are embodied in genetic algorithms, used for both optimization and design; and in reflective practice loops that are advocated for organizational learning.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, 2019
Some aspects of Martin Heidegger’s philosophy resonate strongly with an engineering outlook. He a... more Some aspects of Martin Heidegger’s philosophy resonate strongly with an engineering outlook. He argued that practice was more ‘primordial’ than theory, though preserving an important role for theoretical understanding as well, thus speaking to the gap between engineering education (highly theoretical) and engineering practice (mostly empirical). He also underlined the reality of ‘average’ practices into which we are socialized, though affirming the potential for original work and action too, thus providing the grounds for self-actualization whether within the routine or in transcending it. His notion of ‘thrownness’ emphasizes the importance of context, with which engineers are constantly engaged. While all this relates to the idea of our ‘being’, Heidegger also dealt with the influence of time on our practices. Future death could be seen as spurring innovation, cultural history as a source for critiquing current practice, and the present ‘situation’ as the immediate context for corrective or opportunistic action.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, 2019
Michael Polanyi’s epistemology and Martin Heidegger’s ontology provide a strong rationale for the... more Michael Polanyi’s epistemology and Martin Heidegger’s ontology provide a strong rationale for the notion of practice based knowledge. Tacit knowing (Polanyi) and pre-theoretical shared practice (Heidegger) are two such philosophical concepts. Practice based knowledge can be categorized as being either historical (structured) or horizontal (unstructured). Approaches such as Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Case Based Reasoning (CBR), Expert Systems and Grounded Theory (with Interval Probability Theory) are able to model philosophical concepts related to practice based knowledge. Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques using a connectionist paradigm are more appropriate for modelling the ideas of Polanyi and Heidegger; however, the generation of knowledge will inevitably involve some cognitivism. Examples from engineering practice are used to demonstrate how the above techniques can capture, structure and process such knowledge for practitioners.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, 2019
We argue that practice, context, ethics, models and failure are crucial for engineering. There ar... more We argue that practice, context, ethics, models and failure are crucial for engineering. There are many aspects to consider regarding these terms; and engineers should try to reflect on them thoughtfully. We then present Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn, Michael Polanyi and Martin Heidegger as 20th century philosophers who have shed considerable light on these areas in ways that are highly relevant to engineering.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, 2019
Thomas Kuhn argued that science progressed from one ‘ruling paradigm’ to another through periods ... more Thomas Kuhn argued that science progressed from one ‘ruling paradigm’ to another through periods of ‘revolution’; and also that science was concerned not so much with truth, but with theories (agreed upon by scientists) that explained phenomena. While most scientists would be uncomfortable with such a relativist and non-realist view of science, engineers could probably appreciate this perspective. This is because engineers are more interested in dependable models for fabricating safe artefacts than in the truth (i.e. correspondence with reality) or even accuracy of their theories. The fact that many different design paradigms produced safe structures in the history of structural design is also a testimony to this.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, 2019
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems, Mar 6, 2015
ABSTRACT Toughness is arguably a better metaphor than resilience to describe the characteristics ... more ABSTRACT Toughness is arguably a better metaphor than resilience to describe the characteristics of wider systems for which the term ‘resilience’ is currently employed. This argument is presented by describing the various features of a stress–strain curve, to which the two terms relate. In particular, it is the large energy-absorbing and strain capacities of the plastic region that make toughness a more apt metaphor. System toughness can be seen as having three aspects, namely robustness, redundancy and element toughness. Similarities are demonstrated between the analogical source of structural mechanics and two analogical targets, namely transportation and social systems. ‘Post-yield’ behaviour in such wider systems can be classified as to whether they are ductile or brittle; and as to whether they display strain hardening or strain softening.
The nature of engineering and history as disciplines are explored and found to have some striking... more The nature of engineering and history as disciplines are explored and found to have some striking similarities, for example in the importance they place on context and practitioner involvement. They are found to be different from science, which focuses more on universal generalizations rather than on the particulars of given situations. The history of technology is paid special attention, because the discipline has developed in a way that incorporates both scientific (generalizing) and historical (context specific) characteristics. Proposals are made for giving historical studies greater space in engineering education.
The Alternate Load Path Method (APM) that is presented in several standards is the widely followe... more The Alternate Load Path Method (APM) that is presented in several standards is the widely followed method for the assessment of progressive collapse potential. In particular, the Linear Static APM is popular since it is simple and easy to implement compared to nonlinear methods. Although nonlinear approaches can give us a wider range of structural responses, they are not widely used since they involve complex procedures. We present here a nonlinear dynamic analysis approach for the post column loss behaviour in buildings that combines the simplicity of the linear methods with the comprehensiveness of the nonlinear ones. The method involves defining a special hinge that captures the specifications of the General Services Administration (GSA) guidelines, and reduces the complexities involved in nonlinear procedures. In addition to the collapse potential, the method is able to obtain the point of collapse initiation, collapse path and final extent of collapse relatively easily. A 3D concrete moment resisting frame under the short side face middle column removal case yielded similar results to the linear APM recommended by the GSA guidelines; but the proposed method was also able to identify that failure was initiated with the double spanned beam directly over the removed column yielding in flexure and progressed upwards, finally resulting in an overall collapse of all beams on the short side face that frame into the columns vertically in line with the removed column.
Polanyi insisted that scientific knowledge was intensely personal in nature, though held with uni... more Polanyi insisted that scientific knowledge was intensely personal in nature, though held with universal intent. His insights regarding the personal values of beauty and morality in science are first enunciated. These are then explored for their relevance to engineering. It is shown that the practice of engineering is also governed by aesthetics and ethics. For example, Polanyi's three spheres of morality in science--that of the individual scientist, the scientific community and the wider society--has parallel entities in engineering. The existence of shared values in engineering is also demonstrated, in aesthetics through an example that shows convergence of practitioner opinion to solutions that represent accepted models of aesthetics; and in ethics through the recognition that many professional engineering institutions hold that the safety of the public supersedes the interests of the client. Such professional consensus can be seen as justification for studying engineering aesthetics and ethics as inter-subjective disciplines.
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Aug 1, 2002
There is an old saying that ‘everything has been done before somewhere’. It is particularly true ... more There is an old saying that ‘everything has been done before somewhere’. It is particularly true in civil engineering, where design teams are often accused of ‘reinventing the wheel’ simply because they have not read the literature. But when there is no reference, no past experience to draw from, engineers and other professions would be well-advised to think laterally, to see if what they are trying to do is analogous to what other professions have already done. This paper demonstrates that social workers trying to reduce the vulnerability of communities have much to learn from the principles engineers have developed for reducing the vulnerability of structures. It goes on to show that the analogy can also work in reverse, reminding engineers of the more subtle factors that they should consider in order to ensure the safety of their designs.
Journal of The National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, Sep 30, 2019
Anaximander's 6th century BC model of the the monumental stone temple architecture of his day, wi... more Anaximander's 6th century BC model of the the monumental stone temple architecture of his day, with or its structural elements, or even its construction processes. Similarly, the scientists who discovered a new allotrope of carbon in 1985 were inspired by the geodesic domes of the molecule. This shows that designed structural artifacts can of analogy for the structures of nature.
Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems, Oct 1, 2020
What is the body of knowledge for engineers involved with civil engineering systems?-A 2020 visio... more What is the body of knowledge for engineers involved with civil engineering systems?-A 2020 vision This journal has aimed, during its existence of over 35 years, to promote systems methods, approaches and thinking, as applied to Civil Engineering. What then is Civil Engineering Systems? This is precisely the question the editors posed to selected authors, some of them long term contributors and/or editorial board members, and others relatively new to the journal; but all working in their different ways to promote the above aim of the journal. We hope that this exercise will also build and strengthen a community of systems actorsnot only among our contributors, but also among our readers. What we have not attempted to do is to arrive at a set of common definitions for systems entities, for example as attempted by INCOSE (e.g. Sillitto et al. 2018); although there may be some merit in such formalisation. Instead, we have sought to foster a conversation, believing that understanding and innovation are sustained in discourse. The Themes and Threads of the eight papers in this Special Issue are shown in Table 1. The most formal contribution in this collection is that of David Carmichael. We lead off with that, not only because it represents one end of two spectra, referring as it does both to a 'framework' and also a 'body of knowledge', which is indeed reflected in the theme of the special issue. This contribution is followed up by that of David Elms, who is at the other end of the formalism spectrum, his engagement with systems being described as a 'stance'. Another phrase that captures Elms' view on systems can be found in his appreciation of David Blockley in the festschrift volume for the latter published by this journal, namely that 'the systems approach is not easily systematised' (Elms 2010). Carmichael's contribution also focuses largely on 'knowledge'; whereas the last paper by the journal Editor-in-Chief Paul Jowitt insists that systems have to include skills and attitudes as well, using the acronym 'ASK'. So, we can consider these two contributions as being at the two extremes of the ASK spectrum. The first four papers in this collection deal directly with systems in general, with the application areas being secondary. David Blockley's contribution is perhaps closer to Carmichael's on the formalism spectrum, with his 'interacting objects process model' described at various hierarchical levels ranging from beam behaviour to organisational workflow (with constructing a building and making sandwiches in between). Blockley's application area is information technology and artificial intelligence, which he appropriately qualifies by his insistence on 'wisdom'captured in his title itself. Jay Lund is closer to Jowitt on the ASK spectrum, referring to 'skills' in his title and 'attitudes' in his text. He is also closer to Elms on the formalism spectrum. Lund's application area is water and environmental problems, which offer great scope for systems approaches. Jennifer Whyte et al. also deal with many systems themes such as complexity, integration and life-cycles, but with a specific focus on infrastructure, in the context of a research agenda for approaching it. As depicted in Table 1, other authors who tackle infrastructure are Lund and Elms, and also Gordon Masterton & Paul Jeffrey. The latter paper takes a specific look at cities for the future. Infrastructure is clearly a very rich application regime for systems approaches,
International Journal of Disaster Resilience in The Built Environment, Jun 8, 2015
Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to outline different notions of the term resilience used in... more Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to outline different notions of the term resilience used in scientific disciplines and consequently explore how the concept can be applied to energy systems. The concept of resilience has emerged recently in scientific discourse. The major questions to be addressed are: Which definitions and underlying concepts of resilience are used in the scientific literature? How can resilience be defined with respect to energy systems and which underlying principles can be identified?Design/methodology/approach– Building on this understanding, characteristics of the resilience concept used in various contexts are described and a methodology for selection of an indicator set for an energy resilience assessment is presented. The methodology for a resilience assessment outlined in this paper requires definition and clustering of a set of indicators describing a resilient system. It contributes to understanding system properties and supports the theory of how to improve system resilience.Findings– It is argued that resilience can be defined as a function of vulnerability and adaptability, therefore increasing adaptability or reducing vulnerability can cause higher system resilience. Further attributes, determinants and properties of resilient systems to guide indicator selection and classification are suggested.Originality/value– Definitions of resilience, vulnerability and adaptability are very much interlinked. A novel framework is proposed to foster the understanding of the interlinkage between these three terms and to cluster indicators to assess energy system resilience.
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami affected 5% of Sri Lanka's schools, severely damaging 108 and destr... more The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami affected 5% of Sri Lanka's schools, severely damaging 108 and destroying 74. The catastrophe highlighted the critical role of schools in providing educational continuity during community recovery. Sri Lanka has since rehabilitated and rebuilt most of the destroyed schools along the coastline. However, there is a limited understanding of current levels of school exposure to tsunami. This hampers preparedness and risk reduction interventions that can improve community and educational tsunami resilience. This paper presents a multidisciplinary school exposure database relevant to both vulnerability and loss modelling. The repository includes data on 38 schools and 86 classroom buildings, surveyed across the coastal districts of Ampara, Batticaloa and Galle in Sri Lanka, which were heavily affected by the 2004 tsunami. A new engineering rapid visual survey tool is presented that was used to conduct the physical assessment of schools for the exposure repository. School damage mechanisms observed in past tsunami inform the survey forms, which are designed to capture information at both school compound and building levels. The tsunami engineering survey tools are universally applicable for the visual assessment of schools exposed to tsunami. The surveys show that most Sri Lankan school buildings can be classified into three building archetypes. This means that future risk assessments can be conducted considering a small number of index buildings that are based on these archetypes with differing partition arrangements and structural health conditions. The surveys also raise three significant concerns. Firstly, most schools affected by the 2004 tsunami remain in the same exposed locations without any consideration for tsunami design or strengthening provisions. Secondly, Sri Lankan schools are fragile to tsunami loading and many of the schools in the Galle district suffer from severe corrosion, which will further affect their tsunami vulnerability. Thirdly, schools do not appear prepared for tsunami, and do not have adequate tsunami warnings nor evacuation protocols in place. These observations raise the urgent need to mitigate tsunami risk, including a holistic plan for tsunami retrofitting and for interventions to improve the tsunami preparedness of schools in Sri Lanka. KEYWORDS tsunami school exposure, tsunami engineering rapid visual survey, Sri Lanka tsunami, Indian Ocean tsunami 2004, school typologies, school tsunami vulnerability
Using historical data, it is shown that tsunamis may not occur for earthquake magnitudes even up ... more Using historical data, it is shown that tsunamis may not occur for earthquake magnitudes even up to Mw = 8. Field data can be used to arrive at generalized fragility curves for different materials of construction as functions of inundation depth. Such curves can also be integrated into vulnerability curves that can be characterized by simple negative exponential equations. It is also possible to create synthetic fragility curves generated by Monte Carlo simulation, which were found to have a reasonable fit with the empirical ones. While most simulations focus only on the structural frames in buildings, partitions can also play a significant role in damage mechanisms. There is also a role for simplified indices of either risk or robustness, based ideally on physics rather than expert opinion. Such indices can also be used to consider risk to an entire system, for example buildings, functions and backup services that are spread across adjacent coastline hospitals.
Depth vs. damage curves were developed for a flood risk assessment carried out in Colombo, Sri La... more Depth vs. damage curves were developed for a flood risk assessment carried out in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The major elements of the damage assessment comprised building fabrics, building contents, distributed infrastructure and vehicles. Current approaches to damage function development were improved on by separating damage to building fabric and contents; using actual building footprints rather than assigning building functions to city zones; assessing infrastructure damage accurately; and incorporating damage to vehicles. Information sources included infrastructure agencies, bills of quantities for buildings, expert consultations, household surveys and insurance agencies. The building fabric was assigned three categories, namely semi-permanent, single storey and two storey. The building contents were classified into 7 types based on function as warehouse/storage, industrial, shops, offices, residential, educational and health. The proportion of contents asset values to that of the fabric ranged from 1.67 for warehouse/storage to 0.20for educational. Both 'what-if' analyses and historic data were used to generate the curves. Data were obtained as losses per unit area or unit length; or as point losses.For the 140 square km urban area, the generated flood damages ranged from USD 37 to 549 million for return periods from 5 to 100 years, with average inundation depths ranging from 0.48 m to 1.28 m (and outliers up to 5.8 m). The total non-residential to residential building damage increased with return period (and together accounted for 75-85% of damage). The residential contents to fabric damage ratio was generally around 1.5. The percentage damage to infrastructure was not very significant, although that to vehicles was, especially at lower return periods.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, 2019
Karl Popper argued that the scientific method was cyclic in nature; and that the growth of scient... more Karl Popper argued that the scientific method was cyclic in nature; and that the growth of scientific knowledge took place when we focused on the falsification of theories, as opposed to their verification. We demonstrate here the relevance of these ideas to engineering processes and approaches, which can be seen as cyclic problem solving. The notion of failure plays a vital role, both in the design process and in the wider growth of engineering knowledge. Examples are given of real world failures and their contribution to the growth of knowledge in various aspects of engineering. We also show how some of these concepts are embodied in genetic algorithms, used for both optimization and design; and in reflective practice loops that are advocated for organizational learning.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, 2019
Some aspects of Martin Heidegger’s philosophy resonate strongly with an engineering outlook. He a... more Some aspects of Martin Heidegger’s philosophy resonate strongly with an engineering outlook. He argued that practice was more ‘primordial’ than theory, though preserving an important role for theoretical understanding as well, thus speaking to the gap between engineering education (highly theoretical) and engineering practice (mostly empirical). He also underlined the reality of ‘average’ practices into which we are socialized, though affirming the potential for original work and action too, thus providing the grounds for self-actualization whether within the routine or in transcending it. His notion of ‘thrownness’ emphasizes the importance of context, with which engineers are constantly engaged. While all this relates to the idea of our ‘being’, Heidegger also dealt with the influence of time on our practices. Future death could be seen as spurring innovation, cultural history as a source for critiquing current practice, and the present ‘situation’ as the immediate context for corrective or opportunistic action.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, 2019
Michael Polanyi’s epistemology and Martin Heidegger’s ontology provide a strong rationale for the... more Michael Polanyi’s epistemology and Martin Heidegger’s ontology provide a strong rationale for the notion of practice based knowledge. Tacit knowing (Polanyi) and pre-theoretical shared practice (Heidegger) are two such philosophical concepts. Practice based knowledge can be categorized as being either historical (structured) or horizontal (unstructured). Approaches such as Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Case Based Reasoning (CBR), Expert Systems and Grounded Theory (with Interval Probability Theory) are able to model philosophical concepts related to practice based knowledge. Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques using a connectionist paradigm are more appropriate for modelling the ideas of Polanyi and Heidegger; however, the generation of knowledge will inevitably involve some cognitivism. Examples from engineering practice are used to demonstrate how the above techniques can capture, structure and process such knowledge for practitioners.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, 2019
We argue that practice, context, ethics, models and failure are crucial for engineering. There ar... more We argue that practice, context, ethics, models and failure are crucial for engineering. There are many aspects to consider regarding these terms; and engineers should try to reflect on them thoughtfully. We then present Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn, Michael Polanyi and Martin Heidegger as 20th century philosophers who have shed considerable light on these areas in ways that are highly relevant to engineering.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, 2019
Thomas Kuhn argued that science progressed from one ‘ruling paradigm’ to another through periods ... more Thomas Kuhn argued that science progressed from one ‘ruling paradigm’ to another through periods of ‘revolution’; and also that science was concerned not so much with truth, but with theories (agreed upon by scientists) that explained phenomena. While most scientists would be uncomfortable with such a relativist and non-realist view of science, engineers could probably appreciate this perspective. This is because engineers are more interested in dependable models for fabricating safe artefacts than in the truth (i.e. correspondence with reality) or even accuracy of their theories. The fact that many different design paradigms produced safe structures in the history of structural design is also a testimony to this.
SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology, 2019
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems, Mar 6, 2015
ABSTRACT Toughness is arguably a better metaphor than resilience to describe the characteristics ... more ABSTRACT Toughness is arguably a better metaphor than resilience to describe the characteristics of wider systems for which the term ‘resilience’ is currently employed. This argument is presented by describing the various features of a stress–strain curve, to which the two terms relate. In particular, it is the large energy-absorbing and strain capacities of the plastic region that make toughness a more apt metaphor. System toughness can be seen as having three aspects, namely robustness, redundancy and element toughness. Similarities are demonstrated between the analogical source of structural mechanics and two analogical targets, namely transportation and social systems. ‘Post-yield’ behaviour in such wider systems can be classified as to whether they are ductile or brittle; and as to whether they display strain hardening or strain softening.
The nature of engineering and history as disciplines are explored and found to have some striking... more The nature of engineering and history as disciplines are explored and found to have some striking similarities, for example in the importance they place on context and practitioner involvement. They are found to be different from science, which focuses more on universal generalizations rather than on the particulars of given situations. The history of technology is paid special attention, because the discipline has developed in a way that incorporates both scientific (generalizing) and historical (context specific) characteristics. Proposals are made for giving historical studies greater space in engineering education.
The Alternate Load Path Method (APM) that is presented in several standards is the widely followe... more The Alternate Load Path Method (APM) that is presented in several standards is the widely followed method for the assessment of progressive collapse potential. In particular, the Linear Static APM is popular since it is simple and easy to implement compared to nonlinear methods. Although nonlinear approaches can give us a wider range of structural responses, they are not widely used since they involve complex procedures. We present here a nonlinear dynamic analysis approach for the post column loss behaviour in buildings that combines the simplicity of the linear methods with the comprehensiveness of the nonlinear ones. The method involves defining a special hinge that captures the specifications of the General Services Administration (GSA) guidelines, and reduces the complexities involved in nonlinear procedures. In addition to the collapse potential, the method is able to obtain the point of collapse initiation, collapse path and final extent of collapse relatively easily. A 3D concrete moment resisting frame under the short side face middle column removal case yielded similar results to the linear APM recommended by the GSA guidelines; but the proposed method was also able to identify that failure was initiated with the double spanned beam directly over the removed column yielding in flexure and progressed upwards, finally resulting in an overall collapse of all beams on the short side face that frame into the columns vertically in line with the removed column.
Polanyi insisted that scientific knowledge was intensely personal in nature, though held with uni... more Polanyi insisted that scientific knowledge was intensely personal in nature, though held with universal intent. His insights regarding the personal values of beauty and morality in science are first enunciated. These are then explored for their relevance to engineering. It is shown that the practice of engineering is also governed by aesthetics and ethics. For example, Polanyi's three spheres of morality in science--that of the individual scientist, the scientific community and the wider society--has parallel entities in engineering. The existence of shared values in engineering is also demonstrated, in aesthetics through an example that shows convergence of practitioner opinion to solutions that represent accepted models of aesthetics; and in ethics through the recognition that many professional engineering institutions hold that the safety of the public supersedes the interests of the client. Such professional consensus can be seen as justification for studying engineering aesthetics and ethics as inter-subjective disciplines.
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Aug 1, 2002
There is an old saying that ‘everything has been done before somewhere’. It is particularly true ... more There is an old saying that ‘everything has been done before somewhere’. It is particularly true in civil engineering, where design teams are often accused of ‘reinventing the wheel’ simply because they have not read the literature. But when there is no reference, no past experience to draw from, engineers and other professions would be well-advised to think laterally, to see if what they are trying to do is analogous to what other professions have already done. This paper demonstrates that social workers trying to reduce the vulnerability of communities have much to learn from the principles engineers have developed for reducing the vulnerability of structures. It goes on to show that the analogy can also work in reverse, reminding engineers of the more subtle factors that they should consider in order to ensure the safety of their designs.
Journal of The National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, Sep 30, 2019
Anaximander's 6th century BC model of the the monumental stone temple architecture of his day, wi... more Anaximander's 6th century BC model of the the monumental stone temple architecture of his day, with or its structural elements, or even its construction processes. Similarly, the scientists who discovered a new allotrope of carbon in 1985 were inspired by the geodesic domes of the molecule. This shows that designed structural artifacts can of analogy for the structures of nature.
Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems, Oct 1, 2020
What is the body of knowledge for engineers involved with civil engineering systems?-A 2020 visio... more What is the body of knowledge for engineers involved with civil engineering systems?-A 2020 vision This journal has aimed, during its existence of over 35 years, to promote systems methods, approaches and thinking, as applied to Civil Engineering. What then is Civil Engineering Systems? This is precisely the question the editors posed to selected authors, some of them long term contributors and/or editorial board members, and others relatively new to the journal; but all working in their different ways to promote the above aim of the journal. We hope that this exercise will also build and strengthen a community of systems actorsnot only among our contributors, but also among our readers. What we have not attempted to do is to arrive at a set of common definitions for systems entities, for example as attempted by INCOSE (e.g. Sillitto et al. 2018); although there may be some merit in such formalisation. Instead, we have sought to foster a conversation, believing that understanding and innovation are sustained in discourse. The Themes and Threads of the eight papers in this Special Issue are shown in Table 1. The most formal contribution in this collection is that of David Carmichael. We lead off with that, not only because it represents one end of two spectra, referring as it does both to a 'framework' and also a 'body of knowledge', which is indeed reflected in the theme of the special issue. This contribution is followed up by that of David Elms, who is at the other end of the formalism spectrum, his engagement with systems being described as a 'stance'. Another phrase that captures Elms' view on systems can be found in his appreciation of David Blockley in the festschrift volume for the latter published by this journal, namely that 'the systems approach is not easily systematised' (Elms 2010). Carmichael's contribution also focuses largely on 'knowledge'; whereas the last paper by the journal Editor-in-Chief Paul Jowitt insists that systems have to include skills and attitudes as well, using the acronym 'ASK'. So, we can consider these two contributions as being at the two extremes of the ASK spectrum. The first four papers in this collection deal directly with systems in general, with the application areas being secondary. David Blockley's contribution is perhaps closer to Carmichael's on the formalism spectrum, with his 'interacting objects process model' described at various hierarchical levels ranging from beam behaviour to organisational workflow (with constructing a building and making sandwiches in between). Blockley's application area is information technology and artificial intelligence, which he appropriately qualifies by his insistence on 'wisdom'captured in his title itself. Jay Lund is closer to Jowitt on the ASK spectrum, referring to 'skills' in his title and 'attitudes' in his text. He is also closer to Elms on the formalism spectrum. Lund's application area is water and environmental problems, which offer great scope for systems approaches. Jennifer Whyte et al. also deal with many systems themes such as complexity, integration and life-cycles, but with a specific focus on infrastructure, in the context of a research agenda for approaching it. As depicted in Table 1, other authors who tackle infrastructure are Lund and Elms, and also Gordon Masterton & Paul Jeffrey. The latter paper takes a specific look at cities for the future. Infrastructure is clearly a very rich application regime for systems approaches,
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Papers by Priyan Dias