Abstract

In recent years, bilateral aid channeled through multilateral organizations like the World Bank has become an important vehicle for concessional finance for development. At the end of FY09, the World Bank held US$23.9 billion in trust, an amount that has doubled since FY05. While much of the growth reflects the increase in large Financial Intermediary Funds (FIFs), there has also been a rapid increase in Recipient Executed Trust Funds (RETFs). This paper aims to inform internal Bank audiences and stimulate discussion on some selected issues - primarily the growing importance of RETFs as a source of finance and relevance to Bank's country level operations. The report also examines briefly the link between RETF allocations and country performance. The report finds that disbursements of RETFs grew by twenty percent over FY03-FY09. Over this period the trends in regional disbursement shares shifted away from East Asia and Pacific and South Asia Regions to Africa Region. Recipient country concentration is evident: fifty percent of the disbursements have been from six countries - Afghanistan, West Bank and Gaza, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Indonesia and China. RETF disbursements, as a share of the combined International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), and RETF, grew from five percent in FY03 to twelve percent in FY08, while that of IBRD and IDA fluctuated. The bulk of the disbursements from RETF grants were from IDA eligible countries. RETFs appear to have substituted for IDA in fragile and conflict affected states. Disbursements from RETF grants and IDA credits were broadly aligned by sector. There may be some correlation between RETF grants allocation and country performance but the results are not conclusive. The report identifies some areas for further examination: whether RETFs should complement or substitute for Bank operations in specific cases; and whether RETF allocations should be made on the basis of some need or performance based country priorities, outcomes and results. Document type: Book

Abstract

Subsea pipelines are laid directly on seabed with further constraining measures to stabilise it against adverse effect of axial walking, upheaval buckling and lateral buckling. Costly mitigating measures are being employed and the need for further investigation to explore more option is considered. Stability of soil depends on the soil strength. Increasing the soil strength has been identified as a possible mitigation against pipeline displacement. Electro-osmotic consolidation process is currently being employed to increase soil strength around offshore and onshore structures, but the effect on pipe-soil interaction has not been fully investigated. This aspect received no attention on numerical model or detail experiment in this regard. The present study numerically investigates the effect of pipe-soil interaction using capabilities of commercial ABAQUS finite element software tool on both Electro-Kinetic (EK) treated and untreated soil to determine their behaviours. Results from this study when compared with non-EK treated soil, indicates remarkable developments, as the force required to displace pipeline increases significantly due to EK treatment. Document type: Article

Abstract

Present work summarizes a study on the stability of some parts of the Claudius Aqueduct in Rome (1st century AD). The project provides empirical applications linked to the definition of minimal interventions for the structural restoration of a section of the structure near Capannelle. Results of the kinematic analyzes conducted and of experiment with a physical model representing the structure of the upper hydraulic conduit (speco) are reported. Ultimately, hypothetical minimal interventions are outlined for the protection of the structure and at the same time of the image and usability of the Aqueduct.

Abstract

The sophisticated drystone Iron-Age brochs of Northern Scotland, called Complex Atlantic Roundhouses by archaeologists, have shown a relatively high technological culture. Their architectural conservation should strike a balance in presenting their key features (structure, materials, building use and architectural elements) in a concept of wholeness that integrates its major phases rather than design unity of a hypothetical original form. However, currently there is uncertainty due to the lack of agreement for a standard broch scheme and the need for more archaeological research. As most brochs in Scotland are fragile ruins and only a few of them have been scientifically explored, they have been conserved through basic consolidation for safety reasons in very localized methods, primarily by archaeologists. All of them are open to the public but only a few are developed as tourist sites. In both situations, none has shown the complete features of anything close to a standard typology as a narrative of their origin and a few have interpreted correctly the changes after Iron Age as narratives for modification. Significant conservation was conducted often before full archaeological excavations and did not lead to a satisfying architectural experience, so people still have a inconclusive image of brochs after a visit. This paper studies the brochs through their collective concept as a building typology rather than separate images of different sites. Conservation for brochs in Scotland could argue for modern holistic projects that go beyond consolidation, exporting narratives from archaeology to architecture.

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study carried on a baroque style Catholic Church, in the field of determining its bearing capacity, restored with reversible materials, technologies and consolidation methods. The Franciscan Monastery is situated in Arad fortress and is an historical building. The structural resistance of the building suffered severe degradation because of the poor maintenance over the years. Two nonlinear analyses were made on the structure that showed that the building may suffer severe structural damage after an earthquake. Based on the results of these analyses some consolidation methods were proposed for the structural elements of the building: walls, arches, vaults, pillars, towers and foundations. Then a third analysis was made using the proposed consolidation methods to determine their efficiency.

Abstract

For the effective consolidation of damaged historic load-bearing structures, it is necessary for the designer to understand the causes of the damage but also to know and apply the most effective consolidation methods, in order not to affect the cultural value of the building. The problem becomes even more complex for the designer when it is desired only to keep a damaged area of a historic building, which was part of an aggregate of historic buildings. Keeping this area is needed because buildings have been seismically interacting over the past 150 years, and it is necessary to maintain the static equilibrium of the building aggregate. In most cases, in order to safeguard a damaged historic building, is achieved by consolidating the structural elements composing the building, resulting in extensive consolidation areas, long construction periods and expensive and hard to implement solutions. Additionally, it is challenging to predict the response of the building over time to various actions without continuous monitoring, which is difficult to achieve, because of the disturbance on building occupants. The paper presents an alternative solution of safeguarding interventions on a historic building, damaged by settlement and earthquakes, through its prudent connection to the load-bearing structure of a new building. The building is located in the St. Gheorghe Square in Timisoara, Romania, located in the Banat seismic area with a peak ground acceleration of 0,20g [1]. This alternative solution saves the historic building from the total demolition, has the advantage of minimal consolidation interventions, but also preserves the historical balance between the buildings of the aggregate. The efficiency of the alternative solution is highlighted by a comparative presentation of the internal forces and deformations recorded in different areas of the historic building, first for the singular building and secondly of the building integrated into the new bearing structure. Internal forces and displacements were obtained following a spatial seismic analysis, performed with the ETABS program. In the same time, photographs of the execution, that present the connection between the buildings and the chosen consolidation solutions used to reduce the seismic vulnerability of the building, are presented throughout the paper.