A 3D finite element model for the Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge, the first triple-tower long-span suspension bridge in China, is established based on the nonlinear finite element software ABAQUS, and the dynamic characteristics of the bridge are analyzed using the LANCZOS eigenvalue solution method. The study focuses on the effects of the vertical, lateral and torsional stiffness of the steel box girder, the rigid central buckle and the elastic restraints connecting the towers and the steel box girder on the dynamic characteristics of the triple-tower suspension bridge. Our results show that, in general, the dynamic characteristics of the triple-tower suspension bridge are similar to those of two-tower suspension bridges. The vertical, lateral and torsional stiffness of the steel box girder have different effects on the dynamic characteristics of triple-tower suspension bridges. The elastic restraints have a more significant effect on the dynamic characteristics than the central buckle, and decreasing the stiffness of the elastic restraints results in the appearance of a longitudinal floating vibration mode of the bridge. Also, rigid central buckles have a greater influence on the dynamic characteristics of triple-tower suspension bridges than on those of two-tower suspension bridges. The results obtained could serve as a valuable numerical reference for analyzing and designing super-long-span triple-tower suspension bridges.

The influence of baffle position on liquid sloshing during the braking and turning of a tank truck was studied using a volume of fluid (VOF) model. The forces, their positions and weight distribution during braking and the forces and rolling moment during turning were calculated. The reliability of the calculation method was validated by comparisons with experimental results. The results showed that during braking, liquid splashes in the tank and the maximum forces and G (the ratio of weight acting on the front axle to the rear axle) are large when A (the ratio of the arch area above the baffle to the area of cross section)≤0.1. When A≥0.2, as the position of the baffle is lowered, the maximum of F_x (the force in direction x) first decreases then increases, and the maximum of F_y (the force in direction y) and G increase. During turning, liquid splashes in the tank and the maximum forces and M (the rolling moment) are large when D (the ratio of the arch area above the baffle to the area of cross section)≤0.2. When D≥0.3, as the position of the baffle is lowered, the maximums of F_y, F_z (the force in direction z) and M increase.

Fundamental principles from structural dynamics, random theory and perturbation methods are adopted to develop a new response spectrum combination rule for the seismic analysis of non-classically damped systems, such as structure-damper systems. The approach, which is named the perturbation spectrum method, can provide a more accurate evaluation of a non-classically damped system’s mean peak response in terms of the ground response spectrum. To account for the effect of non-classical damping, all elements are included in the proposed method for seismic analysis of structure, which is usually approximated by ignoring the off-diagonal elements of the modal damping matrix. Moreover, as has been adopted in the traditional Complete Quadratic Combination (CQC) method, the white noise model is also used to simplify the expressions of perturbation correlation coefficients. Finally, numerical work is performed to examine the accuracy of the proposed method by comparing the approximate results with exact ones and to demonstrate the importance of the neglected off-diagonal elements of the modal damping matrix. In the examined cases, the proposed method shows good agreement with direct time-history integration. Also, the perturbation spectrum method leads to a more efficient and economical calculation by avoiding the integral and complex operation.

Severe operational problems of sediment deposition have frequently occurred in stormwater sewer systems in Shanghai city due to the flat topography of the area and serious illicit connections. To control sewer sediment and its subsequential problems, optimized operation plans were proposed and an innovative performance assessment method was developed. Simulation results demonstrated that, through changing the way of pump operation and installing necessary actuators in the system, the optimized operations, especially batch intermittent intercept plan, effectively improved the flow velocity in the entire system in dry-weather condition. In conclusion, the optimized operation is an innovative idea for improving the performance and solving the problem of sediment deposition in the sewer system in Shanghai, China.

The domestic rainwater harvesting system (DRHS) is an important freshwater source for Zhoushan, China to meet water demands. A computer model has been generated to analyze the performance of the DRHS with different ratios of D/(AR) (water demand/average annual collected runoff) and S/(AR) (storage capacity/average annual collected runoff). The performance of the DRHS was analyzed by means of the model simulation, which is described by its water shortage rate (WSR) and water loss rate (WLR). Using the data, a set of dimensionless design calculation chart is introduced. When the water demand and requirement of the design are known, the established chart can be used to easily determine the storage capacity and catchment (roof and other surface) area required to achieve a desired performance level.

This paper reports on a laboratory-based study carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of surface treatments on the durability of concrete and suggests a number of different evaluation methodologies for assessing the performance of various surface treatments. Durability of untreated and treated concrete specimens was evaluated by measuring chloride diffusion, charge passing capacity, air permeability and water absorption. A total of six concrete surface treatments were selected to represent different generic types, including coating, penetrant and mixed-use treatments. Results show that the concrete specimens with a coating procedure have a better long-term performance and effectiveness than the specimens with the penetrant treatments. This work also indicates that the wetting and drying cycles test can be used to assess the weatherability of the surface treatments. The ASTM C 1202 and the Autoclam air permeability test can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of surface treatments quantitatively. Further work is needed, however, to assess the longevity of the various surface treatments.

1-(2-chlorophenyl) ethanol (CPE) is of health and environmental concern due to its toxicity and its use as an intermediate in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The current work deals with the catalytic reductive dechlorination and detoxification of CPE by Pd/Fe bimetal. CPE was effectively dechlorinated to 1-phenyl ethanol (PE) accompanied by the equivalent release of chloride. The extent of CPE dechlorination increased with temperature, Fe dosage and Pd loading. A decrease in solution pH increased CPE dechlorination, resulting presumably from an increase in hydrogen production. Under the specific conditions of 20 g/L Pd/Fe, 0.10% Pd (w/w) and initial pH 5–6, the CPE dechlorination was completed within 145 min. The dechlorination followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics with an activation energy of 56.7 kJ/mol. The results of toxicity testing showed that CPE was very toxic to Chlorella, whereas PE showed little toxicity. The toxicity of the reaction solution declined gradually and the promoting effects on Chlorella intensified consequently with the dechlorination process. Thus, the reductive dechlorination of CPE to PE by Pd/Fe was a detoxification process. It may be used to effectively reduce the toxicological effects of CPE-contaminated wastewater, thereby enhancing the performance of subsequent biological processes in wastewater treatment.

The effects of SO₂, SO₃ on de novo synthesis of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were studied using model fly ashes incorporating copper oxide and activated carbon. It was found that the inhibitive effect of SO₂ on PCDD/Fs formation is similar to that of SO₃. To investigate the inhibition mechanism, CuSO₄ formations from both CuO and CuCl₂ were examined. The ability of SO₃ to convert CuCl₂ and CuO on a silica support into sulfate is much stronger than that of SO₂. However, replacing silica by activated carbon leads to a much high conversion of CuCl₂ to CuSO₄ in the presence of SO₂. The promotion by activated carbon is explained by the reduction of CuCl₂ to Cu₂Cl₂ and the eventual conversion of Cu₂Cl₂ into CuSO₄ is the main inhibition mechanism of SO₂ on de novo synthesis of PCDD/Fs.

Although the impact of road transport on urban air quality has achieved a high profile in China, still greater attention is required as it has not yet been considered fully even in relation to the road network linking cities and urban areas. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is a systematic and comprehensive process for evaluating the environmental impacts of a policy, plan or program in publicly accountable decision-making. Air pollution has been recognized as a significant issue in most transport SEA practices. The Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Hubei Road Network Plan (2002–2020) (HRNP) was introduced as one of the World Bank’s pilot SEA projects. An effective framework was developed to investigate the functional relationship between the road network and its potential air pollutant emissions. In this study, two indicators were identified: emission intensity/inventory of pollutants and the spatial distribution of the most polluted areas. Because strategic actions are inherently nebulous and data quality is often disappointing, three alternative scenarios were employed to address uncertainties and data/scale issues. Calculations were made using emission models and results were analyzed with the help of statistical tools and the geographic information system (GIS). The results from the project implementation and the feedback from the World Bank have both shown that the proposed framework is effective in the transport SEA process.

Corrosion of steel rebar is the most important durability problem of reinforced concrete. The aim of this research was to investigate the corrosion behavior of steel rebar in simulated pore solutions and gangue-blended cement mortar. The simulated pore solutions were based on the pore solution composition of gangue-blended cement. The pH and Cl⁻ concentration of simulated pore solutions had significant effects on corrosion potential. However, an increase in pH reduced the influence of Cl⁻ concentration on corrosion potential. The corrosion behavior of steel rebar in gangue-blended cement is different from that in simulated solutions. The gangue cementitious mortar surrounding steel rebar provides stable passivity environments for steel, leading to a decrease in ion diffusion coefficients. Alternating current impedance (ACI) analysis results indicated that the indicator R_c for concrete resistivity is higher for gangue mortar than for ordinary Portland cement (OPC), which improves its corrosion potential. The results from energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) showed more aluminates and silicates at the rebar interface for gangue-blended cement. These aluminates improve the chloride binding capacity of hydrates in mortar, and increase the corrosion protection of steel rebar.