Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete Use in Construction Eng
Glass-fibre reinforced concrete (GRC) is a material made of a cementatious matrix composed of cement, sand, water and admixtures, in which short length glass fibres are dispersed. It has been widely used in the construction industry for non-structural elements, like façade panels, piping and channels. GRC offers many advantages, such as being lightweight, fire resistance, good appearance and strength. In this study trial tests for concrete with glass fibre and without glass fibre are conducted to indicate the differences in compressive strength and flexural strength by using cubes of varying sizes. Various applications of GFRC shown in the study, the experimental test results, techno-economic comparison with other types, as well as the financial calculations presented, indicate the tremendous potential of GFRC as an alternative construction material.
Concrete Materials: Problems and solutions
Contents. Preface. Concrete Materials. Health and Safety. Concrete on Site. Specification Problems. Precast Concrete. Testing. Index.
Integrated land degradation monitoring and assessment: Horizontal knowledge management at the national and international levels
The need for improved horizontal knowledge management at the national and international levels is essential for monitoring and assessment of land degradation and desertification. At the national level, governments utilise scientific, socio‐economic and technical data and information for strategic planning, priority setting and national environment and development planning. However, challenges including the lack of capacity and lack of collaboration and sharing of information across governments affect responses to and the effectiveness of monitoring and knowledge exchange, along with the ability to effectively implement treaties. At the international level, a number of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) share cross‐sectoral themes related to research and monitoring, information exchange, technology transfer, capacity building and financial resources. The need for increased synergies stems from the similarities between the issues they address. Challenges for improving knowledge management at the international level include insufficient interaction between the scientific bodies of the various MEAs; duplication of reporting, monitoring and assessment efforts; limited knowledge management between the various assessments addressing ecosystems and biological diversity during the past decade; and insufficient collaboration between the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the UN system and the international non‐governmental organisation (NGO) community. This paper examines these challenges and offers recommendations on how monitoring and assessment knowledge can be better managed at the national and international levels. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.