Scipedia: Documents published in 2014

Evolucionismo, integración sociocognitiva y cambio semántico

Scipedia content — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 09:42:01 +0100

El cambio es el fenómeno lingüístico por excelencia a la hora de aplicar los modelos teóricos evolucionistas. La perspectiva evolucionista del lenguaje permite analizar el cambio lingüístico como un fenómeno sujeto a los mismos procesos evolutivos que determinan cualquier sistema evolutivo complejo. El objetivo de este estudio es defender una integración más sistemática de los factores sociales y cognitivos del cambio lingüístico, en particular del cambio semántico. Este artículo se centra en un
enfoque evolutivo del cambio lingüístico muy influyente, la Teoría de la Selección del Enunciado del cambio lingüístico desarrollada por Croft (2000). El enfoque evolutivo de Croft se inspira en la teoría evolutiva neo-darwiniana, concretamente en la Teoría Generalizada de la Selección desarrollada por Hull (1988), un filósofo de la ciencia. La
idea fundamental es que el cambio lingüístico es un ejemplo de la evolución cultural i, por lo tanto, está sometido a los mismos mecanismos evolutivos generales que guían la evolución biológica. El lenguaje, como sistema de uso, se regula por la convención, de manera que el cambio lingüístico es el resultado de romper con la convención y de propagar esta innovación en la comunidad lingüística hasta que se convierte en una
nueva convención. Argumentaremos, en el marco de la lingüística cognitiva (Geeraerts & Cuyckens 2007), a favor de una integración más sistemática de los factores cognitivos y sociales en la explicación del cambio lingüístico. Tomaremos como ejemplo algunos casos de cambio semántico en portugués y en español para demostrar que los mecanismos de la innovación lingüística son cognitivos, mientras que los mecanismos de
propagación son esencialmente sociales. Conocer qué factores cognitivos interactúan con los sociales en el proceso de cambio semántico y lingüístico en general es todavía un reto importante en el enfoque evolutivo del cambio lingüístico.

La implantació de la normativa dels relatius: els resultats en dos exercicis gramaticals

Scipedia content — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 09:41:53 +0100

En aquest article es presenten els resultats obtinguts a partir de dos exercicis enfocats a avaluar la implantació de la normativa dels relatius en discursos planificats.
L’article analitza els resultats parcials d’una recerca que s’emmarca en l’ús que fa dels relatius la mostra estudiada (26 individus catalanoparlants de 1r curs de Traducció i
Interpretació) i la percepció que se’n té. Els resultats han permès extreure les conclusions següents: (a) la implantació de la normativa pel que fa als relatius utilitzats és «alta» (de les 520 respostes analitzades,
el 86,9 % són normatives oficials); (b) en el 50 % dels ítems, la implantació de la normativa ha resultat «molt alta», i (c) destaca la implantació «molt baixa» de les
solucions oficials en una frase com "L’assumpte […] requereix una gestió ben planificada fins a l’últim detall, la qual gestió, per tant, no pot ser confiada sinó a una persona de confiança […]".
L’anàlisi dels exercicis també ha fet possible destriar les formes lingüístiques amb un grau d’habitualitat molt alt o molt baix: per exemple, la mostra ha preferit "a qui"
com a relatiu amb funció de complement indirecte. Finalment, també és destacable l’aportació d’aquest article pel que fa a la normativitat de "qui" quan fa de complement directe i va precedit de preposició: "L’home a qui vam veure continua desaparegut."

Les oracions de relatiu i la represa pronominal amb "en"

Scipedia content — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 09:41:45 +0100

Aquest article estudia les oracions de relatiu que duen una represa pronominal amb el pronom "en". Concretament, s’ocupa de les oracions de relatiu amb antecedent implícit de caràcter partitiu; és a dir, d’aquell tipus de construccions en què l’antecedent apareix sense nucli nominal i va encapçalat per un quantificador. Aquest tipus de construccions no ha rebut l’atenció dels estudiosos i, quan s’hi ha fet referència, ha estat de manera molt parcial i amb divergència d’opinions des del punt de vista de la normativa gramatical. En aquest treball, s’aprofundeix en el tema analitzant les vacil·lacions dels usuaris i les tendències segons les característiques sintàctiques de la construcció. La investigació es duu a terme tenint en compte una enquesta als usuaris, l’anàlisi d’un corpus de textos escrits de la llengua contemporània i l’estudi d’un corpus de textos de la llengua antiga.

Agustí Bartra i la negritud

Scipedia content — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 09:41:37 +0100

El poeta Agustí Bartra (1908-1982) va ser traductor d’alguns dels poetes neoafricans més importants del segle xx. El present treball vol incidir en les reflexions
que, a propòsit d’aquestes traduccions, ens ajuden a configurar la poètica del mateix Bartra. Temes tan centrals com la funcionalitat de la poesia, el seu caràcter soteriològic, el paper del mite o del temps, són presents en Bartra com en alguns dels poetes de la negritud. Més enllà d’un interès antropològic, una efusió exòtica o revolucionària, Bartra acara la poesia neoafricana des de la seva exemplaritat, i supera, d’aquesta manera, els tractaments asimètrics, paternalistes o merament ideològics d’alguns dels qui, des d’Occident, s’hi havien aproximat. La recerca per part de Bartra d’una poètica humanista troba en la negritud una referència ineludible.

Còpies manuscrites d'impresos renaixentistes a la Biblioteca Universitària de València: el llegat d'Onofre Soler i Rubio

Scipedia content — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 09:41:31 +0100

Onofre Soler i Rubio va ser un dels bibliòfils més importants de la Il·lustració tardana en la València del pas del segle xviii al xix. Va tenir un pes específic en la societat
d’aleshores, com a rector de la Universitat de València en dos períodes diferents, com a canonge de la Seu i com a bibliotecari arxiver del Capítol. Tot i això, la seua figura
no ha estat suficientment tractada, malgrat que l’Arxiu de la Universitat de València i l’Arxiu Capitular ofereixen molts documents encara per classificar. Una part d’aquests havia estat assenyalada prèviament, documentació que ací es revisa, s’actualitza i es completa, a partir d’aquests dos fons documentals i de la Biblioteca Històrica de la
Universitat de València, quant als aspectes relacionats amb el seu important llegat bibliogràfic a aquest darrer fons, de 2 782 obres. D’aquestes, sols 37 són manuscrites
i tres presenten la peculiaritat de ser còpies d’impresos antics, datats entre 1490 i 1561, una tècnica bastant desconeguda que, des d’època incunable, ha estat present en la transmissió textual de les obres. En aquest article s’estudien els tres còdexs, des d’una perspectiva interna i externa, que resulten mostres interessants de diferents episodis de la història del llibre, sota una mateixa estratègia de transmissió.

Introducció monogràfic

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 16:40:53 +0100

Plata Parga, F. (ed.), P. Calderón de la Barca, «La vida es sueño», edición crítica de las dos versiones del auto y de la loa, Kassel/Pamplona, Reichenberger/Universidad de Navarra, 2012. ISBN: 978-3-944244-01-3

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:48:26 +0100

Insúa, M. Y C. Mata Induráin (eds.), Calderón de la Barca, P., «La siembra del Señor (Los obreros del Señor)», Kassel/Pamplona, Reichenberger/Universidad de Navarra, 2013. [Ediciones críticas, 190, Autos sacramentales completos de Calderón, 83.] ISBN: 978

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:48:18 +0100

Grande Yáñez, M., «De Cervantes a Calderón. Claves filosóficas del barroco español», Madrid, Dykinson, 2012. ISBN 978-84-15454-49-6.

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:48:11 +0100

The Comical, the Emblematic, and a Golden Age Joke in Calderón’s La casa holgona

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:48:04 +0100

This article explores the ways in which a Golden Age joke is manipulated to become an integral part of Calderón’s La casa holgona. Antón, the Flemish student, turns the joke into a verbal weapon that insults, offends and ridicules one of the prostitutes in the entremés. The joke, as told by Antón, can be understood independently of the plot. However, Antón not only tells the joke, but also modifies it to ensure that the reference to the prostitute becomes clear and to incorporate it fully into the play. Given that the joke contains a personal device (a combination of image and motto), this article also proposes that Antón manipulates the joke using an emblematic procedure, which breaks the original system of signification and, in doing so, changes its original meaning.

From Orpheus to Orpheus. Myth and Exegesis in the Dramatic Work of Lope and Calderón

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:47:57 +0100

The present work aims to analyze different interpretations of the myth of Orpheus made by Lope de Vega and Calderón de la Barca. Apart from trying to establish relations between various plays, the analysis deals in particular with the different ways in which the conventions of a dramatic genre (comedy vs. auto sacramental) influence not only on the interpretive proposals, but also on the handling of sources, the treatment of the characters, the dramatic conflict, etc.

Saxony and the Sea: the 113th Verse of El galán fantasma by Pedro Calderón de la Barca

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:47:49 +0100

Calderón places El Galán Fantasma in a specific geographical area: faraway Saxony. There are several references in the text to this ducky and its leader, the Duke of Saxony, one of the main characters of the play. The playwright, however, does not refer to the actual ducky, neither to a specific duke from a historical or geographical point of view. This is supported by verse 113, which alludes to the Saxon sea although the historical cartography confirms that Saxony did not have a coastline during the period in which Calderón wrote. The objective of this article is to analyze how the dramatist uses the Saxon sea in order to create a style rich in maritime images and how certain aspects of the plot are related to the choice of Saxony for the setting. At the same time, the study deals with the connotations of the toponym Saxony for the Spanish audience who watched El Galán Fantasma in the 1630s.PALABRAS CLAVE / KEYWORDS: Calderón, espacio, Sajonia, duque Federico de Sajonia, recepción, metáforas marítimas y bélicas / Calderón, space, Saxony, duke Frederick of Saxony, reception, maritime and military metaphors.

A Cove in Calderón’s mojigangas. Text and Staging

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:47:00 +0100

The present article analyses three of Calderon’s mojigangas, establishing the relation between the dramatic text and the staging of these pieces. Each mojiganga corresponds to a different type of comic structure depending on the organization of the thematic content. Las visions de la muerte is nearer of a folkloric or traditional matter. Of a great tone of irony and satire, more similar to the entremés, and along with that more dramatic and literary than spectacular, is El pésame de la viuda; Los guisados is structured by the nature paradigm, the deformation of the characters is more ridiculous than in an entremés and has a sense of a feast, possibly a palace feast.

The Actor Alonso de Olmedo: An entremesista in Calderón’s Orbit

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:46:43 +0100

The «teatro breve», in general, and the «entremés», in particular, already have a more than considerable amount of bibliography. However, critics have paid little attention to the «autores de comedias» or actors who were also playwrights. Among them is Alonso de Olmedo, who was famous for playing the role of «galán», especially in Calderon’s works. He is the author of a large number of «bailes» that were performed at various Calderonian plays, it is his «entremeses» that are of greater interest (Píramo y Tisbe, Las locas caseras, La dama toro and El sacristán Chinchilla).

Myth and Hermeneutics in Calderón’s Courtly Comedies

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:46:27 +0100

Seven stereotypes of myth —mythologems— structure Calderon’s comedies as fabulae initiation. In this way, the archaic rite is an interpreter of modernity.

Vulgarizing a Myth: the Role of the Graciosos in Calderón’s La fiera, el rayo y la piedra

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:46:17 +0100

The present article analyzes the various dramatic functions developed by the three graciosos of the play and their inclusion in the diegesis, starting from the expressive modes of the comical in courtly performances. Based on a short itinerary of the most famous works of 17th century —whose importance concerns the myth diffusion in that period— the author examines the sources treatment, themes and characters rearrangement, and the process of myth abasement and vulgarization through the joker look defining the gracioso’s materialistic perspective.

The Beginning of La vida es sueño and the Soledad primera by Góngora

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:45:53 +0100

This article analyzes the initial sequence of Calderón’s La vida es sueño (vv. 1-102) by studying the relationships between metric form (silvas), dramatic space, characters’ actions, and style. Comparing the initial sequences in silvas of other comedies included in the Primera and Segunda Parte of Calderón’s comedies, it points out the recurring motif of shipwrecking; in doing so, it stresses how Rosaura’s itinerary, from the initial situation when she has been bucked off by her horse to her discovery of Segismundo’s jail, echoes the shipwrecked wandering’s itinerary in the initial sequence of Góngora’s Soledad primera. The sequence in silvas in the third act of La vida es sueño is built in chiasm with this initial sequence to highlight the radical change that protagonists are about to accomplish.

Some Characteristics of Calderón in the Comedy Los empeños de un acaso

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 10:45:12 +0100

The present article examines the authorship of the comedy Los empeños de un acaso. This work was published in several editions with two different titles: Los empeños de un acaso and Los empeños que se ofrecen. This could explain that the comedy was attributed in different editions to Calderón de la Barca and Juan Pérez de Montalbán. This paper defends Calderón’s authorship: although the Golden Age Comedy in general shares certain stylistic conventions, it is clear that Calderón reiterates specific issues and treatments in his swashbuckling comedies. In this context, the article deals with three different aspects: the mention of the locus amoenus, the allusion to Madrid as a populous city, and some metaliterary commentaries.

Bibliografía calderoniana 2013

Scipedia content — Thu, 14 Mar 2019 09:59:54 +0100

How many versions does an autograph offer? The authorial interventions in the autograph of Calderón’s «El secreto a voces»

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:48:40 +0100

Pedro Calderón de la Barca never ceases to work. His constant interest to improve or adapt his texts has produced two versions of the same play in several occasions. His autographs allow us to examine his writing process as well as the theatrical practice in Golden Age Spain. In the autograph of «El secreto a voces», Calderón himself seems to delete up to 200 verses, nevertheless it also presents interventions by other hands. In this article, I will therefore try to distinguish between the authentic and non-authentic interventions in the autograph of «El secreto a voces».

Tetrasyllabic variations in the Golden Age

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:48:32 +0100

This article shows the abundance of tetrameter verses, —denied by Pablo Jauralde—, in the poetry of the Golden Age, in special in some genres like traditional poetry, or drama.

Aichinger, Wolfram, «El fuego de san Antón y los hospitales antonianos en España», Wien, Verlag Turia+Kant, 2009, 191 pp. ISBN: 978-3-85132-574-4

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:47:30 +0100

Book's review

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:44:10 +0100

Table of contents

The Making of the Hero in the Land of the Cinnamon Tree: Gonzalo Pizarro in the Royal Commentaries of Garcilaso Inca

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:44:00 +0100

Prior to his rebellion against the Spanish Crown in 1544, Gonzalo Pizarro (Francisco’s younger brother) accomplished the Conquest of Charcas (present-day northwestern Bolivia), survived the siege of Cuzco by Manco Inca and attempted the failed exploration of the mythical «Land of the Cinnamon Tree», located somewhere in the Amazonian basin, according to Garcilaso’s historical account. During this doomed expedition, Pizarro endured treason, lost companions and was defeated by the forces of an aggressive environment. However, he managed to emerge as the legendary political and military leader that rebelled against the first Viceroy of Peru, Blasco Nuñez Vela in 1546. Nuñez Vela would be defeated in battlefield and later executed. Gonzalo Pizarro’s pretension of becoming king of Peru by virtue of a political alliance with the surviving Incas would be seen in Garcilaso’s account as a proof of Pizarro’s heroic stature, albeit a tragic one.

The Humanist Ideal of Peace in Pacification Accounts by the Chronicler Fernández de Oviedo

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:43:53 +0100

This paper poses that, in order to represent the first Spanish conquests in the Antilles, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo, within his Historia General y Natural de las Indias, takes certain official legal documents as models to guide and structure his account. Such documents are the royal ordinances and Palacios Rubios’ Requerimiento. Consequently, the character’s speech and actions are marked with the ideals of XVIth century humanist, Renaissance, and erasmist thought —peace, love-friendship and the model of the prudent, moderate leaders— while a speech which seeks to legitimize the Spanish rules in the New World —while presenting it in terms of «pacification»— is being simultaneously unfolded. This whole discursive compound results in a plural, diverse and at times contradictory account, influenced and influential, and, above all, founding of some of the Utopian-imperial speech and imagery that were projected over the Americas and that constituted it.

Arrival and Conquests in the Viceroyalty of Peru in Times of Francisco de Borja y Aragón, Príncipe de Esquilache (1615-1621)

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:43:47 +0100

In the context of the Relación, by Francisco de Borja y Aragón, this paper will report on the exploratory travels —named Arrival and Conquests— of Spanish encomenderos and soldiers between 1615 and 1621. In this context, the present study highlights some of the difficulties Esquilache faced in the exercise of power as head of the Viceroyalty of Peru. We focus our attention on the specific event named Spanish Government. The reasons discussed this time, are closely related to the battle between soldiers and trustees to obtain personal profit. The latter was a current struggle, dating from the origins of the viceroyalty. However, at the time of the events, such conflicts had worsened due to a complex political and economic situation.

Representation of the Indian in Calderón’s «La Aurora en Copacabana»

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:43:40 +0100

The article analyzes the onomastics of the Indian characters, the portrayal of the Inca Empire of Huáscar and Atahualpa, and the Christianization of Guacolda and Yupangui in Calderón’s La Aurora en Copacabana. Rational and proactive, these two characters realize the illegitimacy of the Inca idolatry and embrace the true religion, long before the formal start of Perú’s christianization. Thus, it is argued that this specific representation of the Indian may have been influenced by the close circles indianos of Miguel de Aguirre, who allegedly patronized this comedy.

Blacks as Figure of Negation and Difference in Spanish Golden Age Theater

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:43:32 +0100

Modernity in Europe and America has negated the existence of Blacks, making them invisible. Spanish Renaissance and Baroque theater represents the Black figure in three ways. Some Black characters embody the negation of humanity; other Blacks attempt to erase their skin color at the physical and metaphysical level, and thus their presence in society as difference and as beings in history; lastly, and this is the exception, some are individuals who confront this negation and demand their freedom against a society that sees them only as slaves. This is the case of the play Juan Latino (c. 1625) by Diego Ximénez de Enciso. Its protagonist affirms his presence in historical memory.

Review of Maestro, Jesús G., «Calipso eclipsada. El teatro de Cervantes más allá del Siglo de Oro», Madrid, Editorial Verbum, 2013, 316 pp. ISBN: 978-84-7962-899-4

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:43:26 +0100

Book's review

Sor Juana and Nicholas of Cusa

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:43:19 +0100

Without evaluating the extraordinary and consistent impression that Nicholas of Cusa exerted on the works by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, it would be hardly possible to achieve a profound comprehension of one of the most prominent women writers of the Latin American Baroque period. The Cusan’s legacy provided Sor Juana with the symbol of the opposing pyramids of light and shadow, and with the metaphor of the circle and the center, already sifted by the Spanish mystics. Both symbols in her poem The Dream inscribe within a Renaissance change of episteme, in which a mathematical and optical version of the ideas was always produced through the elucidation of oneself, of the individual as part of a cyclic, spherical universe in which a central, all-seeing eye is described in various works by Nicholas of Cusa. The idea of divine contemplation with our bodily eyes closed, for the incorporeal is only accessible by getting rid of the corporeal; the mathematical and geometrical speculations about divinity and the conceptions of the world as a combination of signs; how the infinite and the finite encounter and the knowledge of the world is always a probability and a conjecture, all these are philosophical traces which enlighten The Dream, one of the most captivating intellectual poems in Spanish literature.

Páginas previas

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:43:13 +0100

Little Devils and Satire in Vélez de Guevara’s El diablo cojuelo and Goethe’s Faust

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:43:06 +0100

Besides the other sources that Goethe used when creating his Faust, in his private texts the author mentions his admiration for Le Diable Boiteux by Alain-René Le Sage. An eighteenth century French translation of El diablo cojeulo by Vélez de Guevara, it was extremely popular in its times. The article compares certain elements in the two works such as the objects satirized in the texts, the use of the ‘esperpento’, amongst other elements.

Review of Baraibar, Álvaro, B. Castany, B. Hernández y M. Serna (eds.), Hombres de a pie y de a caballo. (Conquistadores, cronistas, misioneros en la América colonial de los siglos XVI y XVII), New York, IDEA, 2013, 307 pp. (ISBN: 978-1-938795-91-6)

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:42:59 +0100

Book's review

Baroque Apocalypse in Homero Aridjis’ «Gran teatro del fin del mundo»

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:42:52 +0100

The present article provides a (neo)baroque reading of the dystopic and postapocalyptic universe of Homero Aridjis’ (Mexico, 1940) Gran teatro del fin del mundo. The use of dystopia and allegory subverts the Western anthropologic paradigm: utopias of continuous progress and triumphant individualism can be read in reverse. The analysis is structured in three parts: first part establishes the nature of intertextual relationship with Calderón’s baroque piece El gran teatro del mundo; second part describes ironic dystopia in Gran teatro del fin del mundo; third part highlights the logic of reversed aridjian aesthetics.

Some Political and Legal Aspects of Bishop García de Legazpi Velasco and Altamirano (1704-1706)

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:42:46 +0100

The start of the XVII century was quite complicated for Spain and the New Spain territories in the Americas due to the break of the Succession War that was triggered by the death of the last Austrian monarch, Charles the Second. This event led to a conflict of international dimensions in which European powers intervened in order to impose their monarch who would govern in favour of their political interests in such an important country. The period, that lasted from 1700 to 1706, was one of great uncertainty because no one knew who would be heading the Spanish monarchy. Hispanic noblemen sympathized with the idea of having the grandson of Louis the XIV, Philippe V (Philippe of Anjou) consolidating himself as the future Spanish monarch. To the Spanish clergy, Philippe of Anjou’s political position in the War of Succession was centered on economic interests as well as the fear of surrendering. In this context, Bishop García de Legazpi Velazco y Altamirano played a vital role during the period of uncertainty that the New Spain territories were experiencing.

Calderón and Marsillach Go to the Cinema. An Ironic and Playful Reading of the Cloak and Dagger Comedia Antes que todo es mi dama from the Stage

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:42:39 +0100

This article analyzes the production of Calderon’s comedia Antes que todo es mi dama, directed by Adolfo Marsillach in 1987 and its rupture with the modern tradition of staging Golden Age classical plays in Spain. This analysis studies the scenic and interpretative mechanisms used to establish an ironical dialogue with the generic conventions of the cloak and dagger comedia genre.

Review of Gil-Osle, Juan Pablo, Amistades imperfectas: del Humanismo a la Ilustración con Cervantes, Madrid/Frankfurt, Iberoamericana/Vervuert, 2013, 193 pp. (ISBN: 978-84-8489-640-1)

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:42:33 +0100

Book's review

Travel and Travelers in Novelas ejemplares: Motion and Alterity in La gitanilla

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:42:27 +0100

The Novelas ejemplares are not a travel book, but they present numerous issues related to this genre that deserve to be studied and analyzed. Classics can provide important concepts for travel literature. This paper is reading of La gitanilla from the concept of motion and the relationship between travel Cervantes’ theory of alterity.

Review of «Comedias de Agustín Moreto. Segunda parte de comedias. Volumen VIII», María Luisa Lobato (dir.), Kassel, Reichenberger, 2013, 536 pp. (ISBN: 978-3-944244-10-5)

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:42:20 +0100

Book's review

The Devil and his Dramatic Function in Calderon’s Autos Sacramentales

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:42:14 +0100

In some Calderón’s autos sacramentales the character of the Devil draws the plot and establishes the dramatic action as a demiurge. He elaborates plans and strategies to confuse the Man, but he always fails. This function approaches the autos to the metatheater. Finally certain parallels with Shakespeare are suggested.

About the Concept of «Spanish nation» in Numancia, by Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:42:07 +0100

This article analyzes the concept of «nationalism» as it appears in Numancia, by Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra. We show that, although the term did not exist at that time, the author is translating into his tragedy the physical and metaphysical references of the Spanish nation cult, from Renaissance codes. From a systematic lexical and formal study, although the content will reach the conclusion that Numancia can be considered as a dialectical approach in four acts, which concludes with an aesthetic and ethical definition of what we have been calling «nationalism», even if Cervantes gives us an original representation of the Spanish nation.

The Lost Personal Stories: Hungarians in Spanish Golden Age Theatre (Interpretation and Proximity of Distances)

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:42:01 +0100

Despite of the geographical distances between the two kingdoms, both Hungary and the hungarians seem to be topics widely spreaded in the Spanish literature of the Golden Age. The study tracks the intercultural reasons which might have caused this vast representation of the Hungarians among the literature topics of those centuries. Besides the more or less evidents paralelisms –like the fact of being ruled by the same dynasty, the big challenge represented by the Ottoman expansion both for the Catholic Monarchy and Kingdom of Hungary or being part of the same «Universitas Christiana»— the study shows the very thin nets of the less known personal histories of the thousands of Spaniards fighting against the Ottomans in Hungary. They were there taking part in diplomatic missions or being members of the imperial Court as well as of the Eastern Habsburgs.The presentation of personal histories demonstrates the magnitude of the attention of the Spanish public towards the happenings in Hungary and it shows the fundamental roots both of this specific interest in Hungarian topics and the perception and interpretation the genius of the Spanish Golden Age literature have of it.

The Viceroyalty of Naples in Cervantes’ Novelas ejemplares

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:41:53 +0100

In many of his literary works Cervantes exhibits a desire for Italy, which can be encountered in his dedications and his many references to the art, literature and culture of the peninsula. Cervantes recalls in particular his lengthy stay in Naples, capital of the most important Spanish viceroyalties of the time. This essay studies Cervantes’ desire for Italy through the lenses of the Novelas ejemplares. Here, this impetus seems somewhat ambiguous in that the dedicatory to the Count of Lemos is far from laudatory and the references to the viceroyalty in the Novelas ejemplares themselves are brief and almost sinister. Instead of affirming the desire for Italy, these allusions to Naples create an almost insoluble mystery.

Vélez de Guevara, Rojas Zorrilla y Mira de Amescua, «El pleito que puso al diablo el cura de Madrilejos», estudio Piedad Bolaños y Abraham Madroñal, ed. Piedad Bolaños, Abraham Madroñal y C. George Peale, Newark, DE, Juan de la Cuesta, 2012

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:41:47 +0100

Book's review

Vélez de Guevara, Luis, «Más pesa el rey que la sangre, y blasón de los Guzmanes», ed. William R. Manson y C. George Peale, est. introductorio Javier J. González Martínez, Newark, DE, Juan de la Cuesta, 2011, 162 pp. ISBN: 978-1-58871-211-0

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:41:40 +0100

Book's review

Autobiography and Mateo Alemán: Notes on his Philological Book in Colonial Mexico

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:41:34 +0100

In addition to being one of the founding fathers of the modern novel, Mateo Alemán also wrote a stimulating treatise on spelling reform published in 1609 in Colonial Mexico. The Ortografía castellana is widely considered one of the best books on spelling reform written in Early Modern Spain and its territories due to its unparalleled display of elaborate literary artifice. But beyond its great significance for the study of the history of language, orthographies and national identity, and the rise of phoneticism in the 16th century, Alemán’s book has an autobiographical dimension unparalleled among works of its kind. This autobiographical data consists of recollections of his childhood, his time at university, his conversations with school teachers, his work for the Contaduría Real, and many other events that transform his book into a personal diary. The present study examines the role of autobiography and how it determines the structure of the treatise. Our analysis will show that behind the autobiographical allusions hides a self-fashioning project whose main purpose is to create an image for posterity of the artist called Mateo Alemán and provide him with an epic background.

San Tirso de Toledo, Lope de Vega’s Lost Tragedy

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:41:28 +0100

This paper studies the series of fictional circumstances surrounding Lope’s lost tragedy, San Tirso de Toledo (1597), which was specifically commissioned by the town hall of Toledo to show that the city had a new patron saint, as the Jesuit Jerónimo Román de la Higuera wanted. It recounts the clash of opinions that the issue provoked between the town hall and the primate cathedral, as well as how Lope took sides in the matter. The study also provides the likely source of the tragedy and its exact date.

Christophe Couderc et Hélène Tropé (éds), «La tragédie espagnole et son contexte européen, XVIe et XVIIe siècles», Paris, Presses Sorbonne Nouvelle, 2013, 269 pp. ISBN: 978-2-87854-611-8

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:41:19 +0100

Book's review

The fire in snow prisons: concerning the secret of love in Calderonian comedia

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:41:06 +0100

The main objective of this article is to find a pattern that explains the extraordinary profitability of the allusions to the decir sin decir, related to the hiding and revelation of the secret of love, one of the most recurrent themes in the Calderonian universe. For this, we will analyze fragments extracted from nine comedias of various genres and stages, which therefore can be considered a representative sample of the Calderonian modus scribendi.

Albert, Mechthild (ed.), «Sociabilidad y literatura en el Siglo de Oro», Madrid/Frankfurt, Iberoamericana/Vervuert, 2013, 396 pp. [Biblioteca Áurea Hispánica, 84.] ISBN: 978-84-8489-716-3 (Iberoamericana) / 978-3-86527-767-1 (Vervuert)

Scipedia content — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 11:39:23 +0100

Book's review

GPGPU implementation of the BFECC algorithm for pure advection equations

María Jesús Samper — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 12:19:31 +0100

In the present work an implementation of the Back and Forth Error Compensation and Correction (BFECC) algorithm specially suited for running on General-Purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPGPUs) through Nvidia’s Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) is analyzed in order to solve transient pure advection equations. The objective is to compare it to a previous explicit version used in a Navier-Stokes solver fully written in CUDA. It turns out that BFECC could be implemented with unconditional stable stability using Semi-Lagrangian time integration allowing larger time steps than Eulerian ones.

Evaluating the performance of the particle finite element method in parallel architectures

María Jesús Samper — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 10:57:51 +0100

This paper presents a high performance implementation for the particle-mesh based method called particle finite element method two (PFEM-2). It consists of a material derivative based formulation of the equations with a hybrid spatial discretization which uses an Eulerian mesh and Lagrangian particles. The main aim of PFEM-2 is to solve transport equations as fast as possible keeping some level of accuracy. The method was found to be competitive with classical Eulerian alternatives for these targets, even in their range of optimal application. To evaluate the goodness of the method with large simulations, it is imperative to use of parallel environments. Parallel strategies for Finite Element Method have been widely studied and many libraries can be used to solve Eulerian stages of PFEM-2. However, Lagrangian stages, such as streamline integration, must be developed considering the parallel strategy selected. The main drawback of PFEM-2 is the large amount of memory needed, which limits its application to large problems with only one computer. Therefore, a distributed-memory implementation is urgently needed. Unlike a shared-memory approach, using domain decomposition the memory is automatically isolated, thus avoiding race conditions; however new issues appear due to data distribution over the processes. Thus, a domain decomposition strategy for both particle and mesh is adopted, which minimizes the communication between processes. Finally, performance analysis running over multicore and multinode architectures are presented. The Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy number used influences the efficiency of the parallelization and, in some cases, a weighted partitioning can be used to improve the speed-up. However the total cputime for cases presented is lower than that obtained when using classical Eulerian strategies.

Comparative accuracy and performance assessment of the finite point method in compressible flow problems

María Jesús Samper — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 12:20:17 +0100

A comparative assessment of the Finite Point Method (FPM) is presented. Using a wing-fuselage configuration under transonic inviscid flow conditions as reference test case, the performance of the FPM flow solver is compared with an equivalent edge-based Finite Element (FEM) implementation. Efficiency issues have discouraged practical application of meshless methods in the past. Thus, a simplification of the basic FPM technique is proposed in order to reduce the performance gap with respect to classical grid-based algorithms. A comparative evaluation of the accuracy, computational cost and parallel performance of the meshless implementation is carried out with the objective to assess the level of maturity of the technique and identify improvements still required to tackle practical applications. The results obtained show accuracy and performance of the core algorithm comparable to a conventional FEM implementation, thus removing a major obstacle for further developments of the FPM.

Analysis of multifluid flows with large time steps using the particle finite element method

María Jesús Samper — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 12:03:09 +0100

Multifluids are those fluids in which their physical properties (viscosity or density) vary internally and abruptly forming internal interfaces that introduce a large nonlinearity in the Navier–Stokes equations. For this reason, standard numerical methods require very small time steps in order to solve accurately the internal interface position. In a previous paper, the authors developed a particle‐based method (named particle finite element method (PFEM)) based on a Lagrangian formulation and FEM for solving the fluid mechanics equations for multifluids. PFEM was capable of achieving accurate results, but the limitation of small time steps was still present. In this work, a new strategy concerning the time integration for the analysis of multifluids is developed allowing time steps one order of magnitude larger than the previous method. The advantage of using a Lagrangian solution with PFEM is shown in several examples. All kind of heterogeneous fluids (with different densities or viscosities), multiphase flows with internal interfaces, breaking waves, and fluid separation may be easily solved with this methodology without the need of small time steps.

Application of the finite point method to high‐Reynolds number compressible flow problems

María Jesús Samper — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 11:55:53 +0100

In this work, the finite point method is applied to the solution of high‐Reynolds compressible viscous flows. The aim is to explore this important field of applications focusing on two main aspects: the easiness and automation of the meshless discretization of viscous layers and the construction of a robust numerical approximation in the highly stretched clouds of points resulting in such domain areas. The flow solution scheme adopts an upwind‐biased scheme to solve the averaged Navier–Stokes equations in conjunction with an algebraic turbulence model. The numerical applications presented involve different attached boundary layer flows and are intended to show the performance of the numerical technique. The results obtained are satisfactory and indicative of the possibilities to extend the present meshless technique to more complex flow problems.

Improving the k-compressibility of Hyper Reduced Order Models with moving sources: Applications to welding and phase change problems

María Jesús Samper — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 13:04:44 +0100

The simulation of engineering problems is quite often a complex task that can be time consuming. In this context, the use of Hyper Reduced Order Models (HROMs) is a promising alternative for real-time simulations. In this work, we study the design of HROMs for non-linear problems with a moving source. Applications to nonlinear phase change problems with temperature dependent thermophysical properties are particularly considered; however, the techniques developed can be applied in other fields as well.

A basic assumption in the design of HROMs is that the quantities that will be hyper-reduced are k-compressible in a certain basis in the sense that these quantities have at most k non-zero significant entries when expressed in terms of that basis. To reach the computational speed required for a real-time application, k must be small. This work examines different strategies for addressing hyper-reduction of the nonlinear terms with the objective of obtaining k-compressible signals with a notably small k. To improve performance and robustness, it is proposed that the different contributing terms to the residual are separately hyper-reduced. Additionally, the use of moving reference frames is proposed to simulate and hyper-reduce cases that contain moving heat sources. Two application examples are presented: the solidification of a cube in which no heat source is present and the welding of a tube in which the problem posed by a moving heat source is analysed.

A reduced-order model based on the coupled 1D-3D finite element simulations for an efficient analysis of hemodynamics problems

María Jesús Samper — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 12:27:05 +0100

A reduced-order model for an efficient analysis of cardiovascular hemodynamics problems using multiscale approach is presented in this work. Starting from a patient-specific computational mesh obtained by medical imaging techniques, an analysis methodology based on a two-step automatic procedure is proposed. First a coupled 1D-3D Finite Element Simulation is performed and the results are used to adjust a reduced-order model of the 3D patient-specific area of interest. Then, this reduced-order model is coupled with the 1D model. In this way, three-dimensional effects are accounted for in the 1D model in a cost effective manner, allowing fast computation under different scenarios. The methodology proposed is validated using a patient-specific aortic coarctation model under rest and non-rest conditions.

Computational Homogenization of Inelastic Materials using Model Order Reduction

María Jesús Samper — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 16:21:17 +0200

The present work is concerned with the application of projection-based,
model reduction techniques to the ecient solution of the cell equilibrium
equation appearing in (otherwise prohibitively costly) two-scale, computational
homogenization problems. The main original elements of the proposed
Reduced-Order Model (ROM) are fundamentally three. Firstly, the reduced
set of empirical, globally-supported shape functions are constructed from
pre-computed Finite Element (FE) snapshots by applying, rather than the
standard Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD), a partitioned version
of the POD that accounts for the elastic/inelastic character of the solution.
Secondly, we show that, for purposes of fast evaluation of the nonane
term (in this case, the stresses), the widely adopted approach of replacing
such a term by a low-dimensional interpolant constructed from POD modes,
obtained, in turn, from FE snapshots, leads invariably to ill-posed formulations.
To safely avoid this ill-posedness, we propose a method that consists
in expanding the approximation space for the interpolant so that it embraces
also the gradient of the global shape functions. A direct consequence
of such an expansion is that the spectral properties of the Jacobian matrix
of the governing equation becomes a ected by the number and particular
placement of sampling points used in the interpolation. The third innovative
ingredient of the present work is a points selection algorithm that does
acknowledge this peculiarity and chooses the sampling points guided, not
only by accuracy requirements, but also by stability considerations. The
eciency of the proposed approach is critically assessed in the solution of
the cell problem corresponding to a highly complex porous metal material
under plane strain conditions. Results obtained convincingly show that the
computational complexity of the proposed ROM is virtually independent of
the size and geometrical complexity of the considered representative volume,
and this a ords gains in performance with respect to nite element analyses
of above three orders of magnitude without signi cantly sacri cing accuracy
|hence the appellation High-Performance ROM.

A Particle Finite Element Method for analysis of industrial forming processes

Scipedia content — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 09:15:50 +0100

In this chapter we present recent advances in the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and in the coupling of the DEM with the Finite Element Method (FEM) for solving a variety of problems in non linear solid mechanics involving damage, plasticity and multifracture situations

A stabilized finite element formulation for high‐speed inviscid compressible flows using finite calculus

Scipedia content — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 15:28:27 +0100

This paper aims at the development of a new stabilization formulation based on the Finite Calculus (FIC) scheme for solving the Euler equations using the Galerkin finite element method (FEM) on unstructured triangular grids. The FIC method is based on expressing the balance of fluxes in a space-time domain of finite size. It is used to prevent the creation of instabilities typically present in numerical solutions due to the high convective terms and sharp gradients. Two stabilization terms, respectively called streamline term and transverse term, are added via the FIC formulation to the original conservative equations in the spacetime domain. An explicit fourth order Runge-Kutta scheme is implemented to advance the solution in time. The presented numerical test examples for inviscid flows prove the ability of the proposed stabilization technique for providing appropriate solutions especially near shock waves. Although the derived methodology delivers precise results with a nearly coarse mesh, a mesh refinement technique is coupled to the solution process for obtaining a suitable mesh particularly in the high gradient zones.

Simple and efficient numerical tools for the analysis of parachutes

Scipedia content — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 15:28:20 +0100

This work describes a set of simple yet effective, numerical method for the design and evaluation of parachute-payload system. The developments include a coupled fluidstructural solver for unsteady simulations of ram-air type parachutes. For an efficient solution of the aerodynamic problem, an unsteady panel method has been chosen exploiting the fact that large areas of separated flow are not expected under nominal flight conditions of ram-air parachutes. A dynamic explicit finite element solver is used for the structure. This approach yields a robust solution even when highly non-linear effects due to large displacements and material response are present. The numerical results show considerable accuracy and robustness. An added benefit of the proposed aerodynamic and structural techniques is that they can be easily vectored and thus suitable for use in parallel architectures. The main features of the computational tools are described and several numerical examples are provided to illustrate the performance and capabilities of the technique.

A Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) for analysis of industrial forming processes

Scipedia content — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 13:01:22 +0100

We present a generalized Lagrangian formulation for analysis of industrial forming processes involving thermally coupled interactions between deformable continua. The governing equations for the deformable bodies are written in a unified manner that holds both for fluids and solids. The success of the formulation lays on a residual-based expression of the mass conservation equation obtained using the Finite Calculus (FIC) method that provides the necessary stability for quasi/fully incompressible situations. The governing equations are discretized with the FEM via a mixed formulation using simplicial elements with equal linear interpolation for the velocities, the pressure and the temperature. The merits of the formulation are demonstrated in the solution of 2D and 3D thermally-coupled forming processes using the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM).

Lagrangian analysis of multiscale particulate flows with the particle finite element method

Scipedia content — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 13:01:09 +0100

We present a Lagrangian numerical technique for the analysis of flows incorporating physical particles of different sizes. The numerical approach is based on the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) which blends concepts from particle-based techniques and the FEM. The basis of the Lagrangian formulation for particulate flows and the procedure for modelling the motion of small and large particles that are submerged in the fluid are described in detail. The numerical technique for analysis of this type of multiscale particulate flows using a stabilized mixed velocity-pressure formulation and the PFEM is also presented. Examples of application of the PFEM to several particulate flows problems are given.

On the theory of cell migration: durotaxis and chemotaxis

María Jesús Samper — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 15:48:17 +0200

Cell migration is a fundamental element in a variety of physiological and
pathological processes. Alteration of its regulatory mechanisms leads to loss of
cellular adhesion and increased motility, which are critical steps in the initial
stages of metastasis, before a malignant cell colonizes a distant tissue or organ.
Consequently, cell migration has become the focus of intensive experimental
and theoretical studies; however the understanding of many of its mechanism
remains elusive. Cell migration is the result of a periodic sequence of
protrusion, adhesion remodeling and contraction stages that leads to directed
movement of cells towards external stimuli. The spatio-temporal coordination
of these processes depends on the di erential activation of the signaling networks
that regulate them at specific subcellular locations. Particularly, proteins
from the family of small RhoGTPases play a central role in establishing cell
polarization, setting the direction of migration, regulating the formation of adhesion
sites and the generation of the forces that drive motion.
Theoretical models based on an independent description of these processes
have a limited capacity to predict cellular behavior observed in vitro, since their
functionality depends intrinsically on the cross-regulation between their signaling
pathways. This thesis presents a model of cell migration that integrates
a description of force generation and cell deformation, adhesion site dynamics
and RhoGTPases activation. The cell is modeled as a viscoelastic body capable
of developing active traction and protrusion forces. The magnitude of stresses
is determined by the activation level of the RhoGTPases, whose distribution
in the cell body is described by a set of reaction-di usion equations. Adhesion
sites are modeled as punctual clusters of transmembrane receptors that
dynamically bind and unbind the extracellular matrix depending on the force
transmitted to them and the distance with ligands on the substrate.

Onthe theoretical level, the major findings concern the relationship between
the topology of a crosstalk scheme and the properties, as defined in [1], inherited by the associated reaction network as a gradient sensing and regulatory
system: persistent and transient polarization triggered by external gradients,
adaptation to uniform stimulus, reversible polarization, multi-stimuli response
and amplification. This leads to models that remain functional against the biological
diversity associated to di erent cell types and matches the observed cell
behaviour in Chemotaxis essays [2, 3, 4, 5]: the capacity of cells to amplify gradients,
polarize without featuring Turing patterns of activation, and switch the
polarization axis and the direction of migration after the source of the external
stimulus is changed. The RhoGTPase model, derived on theoretical premises,
challenges a long held view on the mechanisms of RhoGTPase crosstalk and
suggests that the role of GDIs, GEFs and GAPs has to be revised. Recent
experimental evidence supports this idea[6]. In addition, the model allows
to recapitulate a continuous transition between the tear-like shape adopted
by neutrophiles and the fan-like shape of keratocytes during migration [7] by
varying the relative magnitudes of protrusion and contraction forces or, alternatively,
the strength of RhoGTPase Crosstalk. The second mechanism represents
a novel explanation of the di erent morphologies observed in migrating cells.
Di erences in RhoGTPase crosstalk strength could be mediated by di erences
between the activity or concentration of GEFs, GAPs and GDIs in di erent cell
types; an idea that can be explored experimentally.

On cell mechanosensing, a new hypothesis based on a simple physical principle
is proposed as the mechanism that might explain the universal preference
of cells (bar neurons) to migrate along sti ness gradients. The theory provides
a simple unifying explanation to a number of recent observations on force development
and growth in real time at cell Focal adhesions [8, 9, 10, 11]. The
apparently conflicting results have been attributed to the di erences in experimental
set-ups and cell types used, and have fueled a longstanding controversy
on how cells prove the mechanical properties of the extra-cellular matrix. The
predictions of the theory recapitulate these experimental observations, and its
founding hypothesis can be tested experimentally. This hypothesis directly
suggests the mechanism that could explain the preference of cells to migrate
along sti ness gradients, and for the first time, a plausible biological function
for its existence. This phenomenon is known as Durotaxis, and its abnormal
regulation has been associated to the malignant behaviour of cancer cells.

Strain localization and failure mechanics for elastoplastic damage models

María Jesús Samper — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 15:32:18 +0200

This work investigates systematically strain localization and failure mechanics for elastoplastic damage solids. Two complementary methodologies, i.e., traction-based discontinuities localized in an elastic solid and strain localization of a stress-based inelastic softening solid, are addressed. In the former it is assumed a priori that the discontinuity (band) forms with a continuous stress field and along the known orientation. A traction-based failure criterion is introduced to characterize the discontinuity (band) and the orientation is determined from Mohr’s maximization postulate. If the (apparent) displacement jumps are retained as independent variables, the strong/regularized discontinuity approaches follow, requiring constitutive models for both the bulk and discontinuity (band). Elimination of the displacement jumps at the material point level results in the embedded/smeared discontinuity approaches in which an overall inelastic constitutive model fulfilling the static constraint suffices. The second methodology is then adopted to check whether the assumed strain localization can occur and identify its consequences on the resulting approaches. The kinematic constraint guaranteeing stress boundedness/continuity upon strain localization is established for general inelastic softening solids. Application to a unified elastoplastic damage model naturally yields all the ingredients of a localized model for the discontinuity (band), justifying the first methodology. Two dual but not necessarily equivalent approaches, i.e., the traction-based elastoplastic damage model and the stress-based projected discontinuity model, are identified. The former is equivalent to the embedded/smeared discontinuity approaches, whereas in the later the discontinuity orientation and associated failure criterion, not given a priori, are determined consistently from the kinematic constraint. The bi-directional connections and equivalence conditions between the traction- and stress-based approaches are classified. Closed-form 2D results under plane stress condition are also given, with the classical Rankine, Mohr-Coulomb, von Mises and Drucker-Prager criteria analyzed as the illustrative examples. A generic failure criterion of either elliptic, parabolic or hyperbolic type, is then considered in a unified manner, resulting in many failure criteria frequently employed in practice.

Finite element modeling of delamination in advanced composite beams and plates using one-and two-dimensional Finite Elements based on the refined zigzag theory

María Jesús Samper — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 15:57:21 +0200

Although laminated materials have been used for decades, their employment has increased nowadays in the last years as a result of the gained confidence of the industry on these materials. This has provided the scientific community many reasons to dedicate considerable amount of time and efforts to address a better understanding of their mechanical behavior. With this objective both, experimental and numerical simulation have been working together to give response to a variety of problems related with these materials.

Regarding numerical simulation, a correct modeling of the kinematics of laminated materials is essential to capture the real behavior of the structure. Moreover, once the kinematics of the structure has been accurately predicted other non-linear phenomena such as damage and/or plasticity process could be also studied.

In consequence, in order to contribute to the constant development of simpler and more efficient numerical tools to model laminated materials, a numerical method for modeling mode II/III delamination in advanced composite materials using one-and two-dimensional finite elements is proposed inthis work. In addition, two finite elements base on a zigzag theory for simulating higly heterogeneous multilayered beams and plates structures are developed here.

The document is written based on results of four papers published in indexed journals. Copies of all these papers are included in Appendix. The main body of this thesis is constituted by Chapters 2 to 4. Chapter 2 deals with the numerical treatment of laminated beams and plates. Chapter 3 presents the formulation of the LRZ beam and the QLRZ plate finite elements based on the Refined Zigzag theory. Finally, the main contribution of this thesis, the LRZ/QLRZ delamination model, is developed in Chaptert 4.

On the modelling of granular flows in industrial applications via the Particle Finite Element Method

María Jesús Samper — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 14:17:35 +0200

The aim of this work is to present a new procedure for modelling industrial processes
that involve granular material flows, using a numerical model based on the Particle
Finite Element Method (PFEM). The numerical results herein presented show
the potential of this methodology when applied to different branches of industry.
Due to the phenomenological richness exhibited by granular materials, the present
work will exclusively focus on the modelling of cohesionless dense granular flows.

The numerical model is based on a continuum approach in the framework of
large-deformation plasticity theory. For the constitutive model, the yield function is
defined in the stress space by a Drucker-Prager yield surface characterized by two
constitutive parameters, the cohesion and the internal friction coefficient, and
equipped with a non-associative deviatoric flow rule. This plastic flow condition is
considered nearly incompressible, so the proposal is integrated in a u- p mixed
formulation with a stabilization of the pressure term via the Polynomial Pressure
Projection (PPP). In order to characterize the non-linear dependency on the shear
rate when flowing a visco-plastic regularization is proposed.

The numerical integration is developed within the Impl-Ex technique, which increases
the robustness and reduces the iteration number, compared with a typical
implicit integration scheme. The spatial discretization is addressed within the
framework of the PFEM which allows treating the large deformations and motions
associated to granular flows with minimal distortion of the involved finite element
meshes. Since the Delaunay triangulation and the reconnection process minimize
such distortion but do not ensure its elimination, a dynamic particle discretization of
the domain is proposed, regularizing, in this manner, the smoothness and particle
density of the mesh. Likewise, it is proposed a method that ensures conservation of
material or Lagrangian surfaces by means of a boundary constraint, avoiding in this
way, the geometric definition of the boundary through the classic -shape method.

For modelling the interaction between the confinement boundaries and granular
material, it is advocated for a method, based on the Contact Domain Method (CDM)
that allows coupling of both domains in terms of an intermediate region connecting
the potential contact surfaces by a domain of the same dimension than the contacting
bodies. The constitutive model for the contact domain is posed similarly to that for
the granular material, defining a correct representation of the wall friction angle.
In order to validate the numerical model, a comparison between experimental
results of the spreading of a granular mass on a horizontal plane tests, and finite
element predictions, is carried out. These sets of examples allow us validating the
model according to the prediction of the different kinematics conditions of granular
materials while spreading – from a stagnant condition, while the material is at rest,
to a transition to a granular flow, and back to a deposit profile.

The potential of the numerical method for the solution and optimization of industrial
granular flows problems is achieved by focusing on two specific industrial
applications in mining industry and pellet manufacturing: the silo discharge and the
calculation of the power draw in tumbling mills. Both examples are representative
when dealing with granular flows due to the presence of variations on the granular
material mechanical response.

Sobre la posibilidad de un megaterremoto en la region centroamericana

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:28:51 +0200

Los terremotos que han ocurrido producto de la subducción de la Placa Cocos bajo la Placa Caribe a lo largo de la región centroamaricana han tenido siempre una magnitud inferior a M 8.0. El registro histórico no muestra que eventos mayores se hayan producido. Sin embargo esto no significa que la zona no tenga el potencial de generar un evento de esa magnitud a la luz de los recientes acontecimientos de los terremotos de Sumatra-Andaman del 2004 y de Tohoku, Japón, del 2011. En este estudio, se hace una revisión de los conceptos sismológicos que se han utilizado para descartar la ocurrencia de un megaterremoto frente a las costas de América Central. Se llama la atención para que se realicen estudios paleosismológicos que den claves sobre el comportamiento de eventos pasados en la región.

Congresos y seminarios

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:24:27 +0200

Congresos y Seminarios

Failure of steel tanks during their construction: experiments and computational modeling

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:24:23 +0200

During the construction of steel storage oil tanks, a state of stresses under wind loads is induced which is not covered by the regulations. Cases of collapse of such structures during their construction occurred in Patagonia Argentina and elsewhere under moderate wind speeds, as reported in the literature. Previous numerical studies concentrated on the identification of the collapse mechanism, which was related to the loss of structural integrity due to discontinuity of the support in the circumferential direction. An increased knowledge of the fluid dynamic behavior under wind allows obtaining an improved input used in the subsequent numerical study. This paper provides new insight into the wind behavior of unanchored tanks that collapsed during their construction by wind tunnel tests to evaluate the flow pattern inside the tanks, which is an input for the subsequent numerical study. The structure is modeled using a general purpose finite element code, in which instability is evaluated by Linear Bifurcation Analysis (LBA) and by Geometrically Nonlinear Analysis with Imperfections (GNIA). Tests allowed identifying that an inner vortex is induced which produces a greater depression than the downwind wake in the leeward region of the tank.

Demandas inelásticas en torres de transmisión ante viento intenso

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:24:19 +0200

En este artículo se discuten los resultados de análisis inelásticos ante carga estática monótona creciente para evaluar la capacidad y mecanismo de colapso de dos torres de transmisión sometidas a patrones de carga por viento. Los análisis inelásticos en tres dimensiones se desarrollaron en OpenSees considerando diferentes patrones de carga de reglamentos internacionales especializados. De acuerdo con los resultados, el mecanismo de colapso en las estructuras estudiadas está liderado por una falla provocada por concentración del daño con una distribución no uniforme en la altura de la respuesta inelástica y altas reservas de resistencia.

Desarrollo de una metodología simplificada para estudios de microzonificación sísmica

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:24:15 +0200

En este artículo se presenta el desarrollo de una metodología simplificada para realizar estudios de microzonificación sísmica. La metodología se considera simplificada porque a diferencia de un proyecto de microzonificación convencional, no requiere realizar campañas de ensayos geofísicos que conllevan fondos sustanciales. La metodología propuesta se basa en el uso de capas de suelo equivalentes. Esta consiste en representar un depósito de suelo de múltiples capas mediante otro de una sola capa equivalente, usando la fórmula del periodo natural fundamental de un depósito uniforme. Las capas de suelo equivalentes se definen con información proveniente de los periodos de un mapa de isoperiodos y la velocidad de ondas S obtenida de forma indirecta de un mapa de tipos de perfil de suelo. Como caso de estudio se aplicó la metodología desarrollada a la ciudad de Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Uno de los aportes principales del estudio es que la metodología desarrollada se puede aplicar a otras localidades donde se cuente con la información de la clasificación sísmica de los tipos de suelo y sus periodos naturales. También para la ciudad de Mayagüez se generó en una plataforma de ArcGIS© un mapa de microzonificación sísmica donde los usuarios interesados pueden acceder a los parámetros que definen el espectro de diseño sísmico de una manera interactiva.

Comportamiento de la vivienda en México durante el sismo el Mayor-Cucupah del 4 de abril de 2010

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:24:10 +0200

Según datos oficiales, durante el sismo del 4 de abril de 2010 se dañaron en México más de 3,000 viviendas, de las cuales el Fondo de Desastres Naturales (FONDEN) de México aportó recursos por 112.1 millones de pesos y el Gobierno del Estado de Baja California 82.3 millones de pesos para atender alrededor de 2,818 viviendas afectadas. En la ciudad y el Valle de Mexicali predominan las casas de uno o dos niveles como vivienda. El daño en conjuntos habitacionales de la ciudad de Mexicali fue extendido. En algunos desarrollos, más del 50% de sus viviendas se dañaron en distintos grados, desde leve hasta severos. En el Valle de Mexicali predominan dos tipos de vivienda de autoconstrucción: (1) casas de un nivel con base en muros de adobe de gran espesor, con techumbres ligeras de dos aguas con base en armaduras de madera simplemente apoyadas sobre los muros de adobe, con o sin losa de cimentación y, (2) casas de un nivel, con base en muros de mampostería de bloque hueco de concreto sin refuerzo ni confinamiento, con sistema de piso de vigueta y bovedilla o losa de concreto reforzado plana o a dos aguas, y que por lo general cuentan con una losa de concreto reforzado como cimentación. Las deficiencias o ausencia de confinamiento en los muros de la vivienda en la ciudad y el valle de Mexicali fueron notables, y en muchos casos fueron responsables de que el daño haya sido tan extendido o severo. En particular, se observó una mala práctica de confinamiento en aberturas para puertas y ventanas, así como una inadecuada preparación de los extremos de los muros (dentarlos), para que al momento del colado con castillos (elementos confinantes verticales de la mampostería fabricados con concreto reforzado) y dalas (elementos confinantes horizontales de la mampostería fabricados con concreto reforzado), trabajen como un conjunto. Por ello, es necesario difundir con mayor vigor, en todos los ámbitos de la ingeniería civil, cuáles son las prácticas correctas de confinamiento en mampostería para vivienda. Otro aspecto no menos relevante es concientizar a arquitectos e ingenieros sobre la importancia de proporcionar una densidad de muros razonable en ambas direcciones ortogonales en los proyectos de vivienda, dado que la práctica observada indica que, por requisitos arquitectónicos (iluminación, ventilación, circulación), normalmente se proporciona una densidad de muros notablemente menor en la dirección de las fachadas que en la dirección ortogonal a éstas, lo cual hace muy vulnerables a las viviendas en la dirección de las fachadas.

Desarrollo de un modelo de evaluación para edificios terminales: Aplicación al terminal a del aeropuerto internacional Luis Muñoz Marín

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:24:05 +0200

Se han desarrollado un sinnúmero de metodologías para evaluar la infraestructura de los distintos elementos y sistemas de transporte utilizados, tales como intersecciones, carreteras y sistemas de transporte público. Sin embargo, no se ha adaptado una metodología estándar para la evaluación de infraestructura de aeropuertos en Puerto Rico. En el estudio llevado a cabo, se identificaron los factores y elementos necesarios para la evaluación de la infraestructura de un edificio terminal de aeropuertos. Se desarrolló un modelo de evaluación el cual consta de pesos porcentuales asignados varios factores. Uno de los edificios terminales del aeropuerto Luis Muñoz Marín fue evaluado según el modelo desarrollado. A base de los resultados obtenidos de la evaluación realizada mediante el modelo desarrollado se determinó que el terminal A del aeropuerto se encuentra trabajando a un nivel de servicio satisfactorio (C) en la escala tradicional usada en la enseñanza. Este artículo resume parte de un estudio realizado en el cual se evalúa la infraestructura del aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín.

Señales sintéticas de movimiento fuerte obtenidas a partir de funciones empíricas de fase

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:24:01 +0200

Este artículo presenta un método para generar acelerogramas sintéticos de la onda S a partir de modelos sismológicos para ser usados en aplicaciones ingenieriles, tales como la evaluación de la respuesta sísmica de suelos para estudios de microzonificación o el análisis cronológico de estructuras con cargas sísmicas. Estas señales se simularon mediante espectros empíricos de Fourier tanto de fase como de amplitudes. El objetivo fue la generación de acelerogramas sintéticos para sismos con una magnitud objetivo superior a la de los sismos utilizados como insumo (sismos semilla) mediante la metodología desarrollada en este trabajo. Esto es particularmente necesario cuando solo se tienen registros sísmicos para magnitudes inferiores a las esperadas en ambientes tectónicos específicos. El escalamiento de las señales, de una magnitud menor a una mayor, debe reflejar un incremento de las ordenadas de aceleración, en la duración del movimiento y debe representar características de la trayectoria desde la fuente al receptor; debe ser también consistente con el contenido frecuencial, que depende de la magnitud del sismo. Durante las modelaciones se pudo observar el cambio en la amplitud espectral y el desplazamiento hacia la izquierda de la frecuencia de esquina con respecto al sismo semilla en el espectro de amplitudes de Fourier. Las señales sintéticas obtenidas mediante espectros empíricos de fase se compararon con señales sintéticas simuladas con funciones empíricas de Green y con métodos estocásticos verificándose de manera general la semejanza entre los tres métodos, no tan notable en la forma de onda, pero sí en el contenido y la distribución de la energía de la señal.

Caracterización de propiedades dinámicas de puentes usando vibración ambiental y modelado numérico: Caso de estudio, puente manantiales en Baja California, México

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:23:57 +0200

Se estudió el comportamiento experimental del puente Manantiales usando registros de vibración ambiental. El promedio general de la frecuencia fundamental del puente estimada experimentalmente fue de 2.94Hz mientras que usando el programa SAP2000 se obtuvo una frecuencia teórica de 2.4Hz. Calibrado el modelo teórico, se estimaron las frecuencias teóricas utilizando PSA con el 0% de amortiguamiento ante la incidencia del sismo "El Mayor Cucapah" ocurrido en 4 de abril de 2010 y se realizó un análisis comparativo entre valores experimentales y teóricos en términos de la comparación puntual y valores promedio. La razón de amortiguamiento estimada en los diferentes claros del puente varió entre 2.7% y 5.1%. El patrón del comportamiento de las deflexiones teóricas y experimentales mostró un comportamiento semejante. La frecuencia fundamental de vibración del puente y del terreno difiere por aproximadamente un factor de dos, por lo que no se espera que se presente el fenómeno de resonancia.

Parámetros estadísticos de la resistencia al corte de vigas de concreto armado

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:23:53 +0200

En este trabajo se determinan el factor de sesgo y el coeficiente de variación de las variables que gobiernan la resistencia al corte en vigas de concreto armado mediante el empleo de técnicas de simulación. Se utilizan tres técnicas de simulación a fin de establecer la técnica más adecuada para los fines que se persiguen.

Diseño y evaluación de tapones inflables para contención de inundaciones en túneles

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:23:49 +0200

La protección de túneles ferroviarios y viales usados por sistemas de transporte masivo de pasajeros es de suma importancia para departamentos de transporte y autoridades de tránsito. La ocurrencia de desastres naturales o eventos provocados por el hombre pueden afectar significativamente la funcionalidad de dicha infraestructura subterránea. Eventos naturales como el paso del huracán Sandy en 2012, que produjo la inundación de siete túneles de metro y tres túneles vehiculares en la ciudad de Nueva York, han demostrado la necesidad de desarrollar métodos alternativos para mitigar las vulnerabilidades o, al menos, reducir al mínimo las consecuencias de esos eventos. Este artículo presenta parte del trabajo realizado por la Universidad de Virginia Occidental para el desarrollo de tapones inflables capaces de contener la propagación de inundaciones en túneles típicos de sistemas ferroviarios urbanos. En particular, se presenta el trabajo experimental realizado para simular a escala real el despliegue, inflado, presurización de un prototipo instalado en un simulador de inundación de túneles. El grado de adaptabilidad, o conformidad, del inflable a una sección de túnel típica, así como la estabilidad axial y el caudal de agua filtrada durante la simulación de inundación se midieron y se utilizaron como indicadores de desempeño. Los resultados experimentales demostraron la factibilidad de instalación y posterior despliegue de un tapón inflable, así como la capacidad del mismo para sellar una sección de túnel manteniendo la estabilidad axial con un nivel relativamente bajo filtración de agua que es típicamente manejable con equipos de drenaje convencional.

Estudio de la factibilidad de aislamiento sísmico pendular para subestaciones encapsuladas ubicadas en terrenos blandos del valle de México

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:23:40 +0200

La industria eléctrica en México está construyendo actualmente subestaciones encapsuladas y transformadores de potencia, dado que es una tecnología más eficiente, económica y segura para la transformación de energía y también requiere de menor espacio. Su empleo ya es un hecho en muchas ciudades de México donde el riesgo y peligro sísmicos son bajos y pueden considerarse prácticamente despreciables. Debido a todas estas ventajas, Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) estudia la posibilidad de construir varias subestaciones de este tipo en el valle de México, donde el riesgo y el peligro sísmico son altos. Las subestaciones encapsuladas están compuestas de una serie de tubos de acero de gran diámetro a presión que contienen un gas tóxico que funciona como agente aislante de los cables eléctricos que alberga. Por lo tanto, se requiere garantizar que durante un sismo intenso, la subestación esté en operación completa y que no exista el riesgo de alguna fuga del gas tóxico, especialmente en los terrenos blandos del valle de México. El empleo del aislamiento sísmico en terrenos blandos como los de la zona del lago de la ciudad de México es atípico y requiere evaluarse a cabalidad, dada la posibilidad de que puedan presentarse problemas de inestabilidad dinámica en el sistema aislador-estructura, tanto por la potencial respuesta resonante con el sitio, como por el cabeceo global o efectos de asentamientos diferenciales y/o súbitos durante sismos intensos. Se presentan los estudios realizados para evaluar la factibilidad de emplear sistemas de aislamiento de tipo pendular para el proyecto arquitectónico tentativo del edificio de subestación tipo SF6 en seis sitios del valle de México, donde se incluyeron los efectos de la interacción suelo-estructura. Conforme a lo estudiado, se concluye que aun tomando en cuenta los efectos de la interacción suelo-estructura, es viable emplear sistemas de aislamiento sísmico del tipo pendular para aislar sísmicamente de manera efectiva a las subestaciones encapsuladas de interés.

La bio-construcción como una alternativa en la búsqueda de la sostenibilidad: El caso del bambú

Scipedia content — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:23:33 +0200

Editorial: La bio-construcción como una alternativa en la búsqueda de la sostenibilidad: El caso del bambú

Finite element formulation for thin-walled open composite beams including the effect of flexural and torsional shear deformation

Scipedia content — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 09:15:14 +0200

In this paper we derive the field of displacements and strains for thin-walled open composite beams with composite laminated material including in their kinematics flexural and torsional shear deformations effects. The equilibrium equations are defined through the variational formulation and show that is possible to formulate Co finite elements taking into account the torsional shear deformation. Stress-strain relationships for the cross-section of thin-walled composite beams are obtained by extending first-order laminate (FSDT: first-order shear deformation) theory and using a «free stress resultant condition at the boundary». Three different one-dimensional finite elements with Co continuity are formulated for the study of thin-walled open composite beams and they are labelled as BSW (beam with shear and warping). The influence of the integration strategy in the BSW elements is evaluated via the shear-locking phenomenon and the rate of convergence for displacements and rotations. The stiffness matrix integration is compared using exact and reduced integration methods. Examples of pure torsion and flexo-torsion in a cantilever composite beam are performed. Numerical results are compared to those reported by other authors.

The influence of self‐weight of elastic 2D structures in topology optimization via numerical technique Smooth Evolutionary Structural Optimization (SESO)

Scipedia content — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 09:14:58 +0200

This paper deals with topology optimization in plane elastic‐linear problems considering the influence of the self weight in efforts in structural elements. For this purpose it is used a numerical technique called SESO (Smooth ESO), which is based on the procedure for progressive decrease of the inefficient stiffness element contribution at lower stresses until he has no more influence. The SESO is applied with the finite element method and is utilized a triangular finite element and high order. This paper extends the technique SESO for application its self weight where the program, in computing the volume and specific weight, automatically generates a concentrated equivalent force to each node of the element. The evaluation is finalized with the definition of a model of strut‐and‐tie resulting in regions of stress concentration. Examples are presented with optimum topology structures obtaining optimal settings.

Hierarchical boundary element method based on the Barnes-Hut tree applied to exterior creeping flow

Scipedia content — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 09:14:42 +0200

In this work, a hierarchical variant of a boundary element method and its use in Stokes flow around three-dimensional rigid bodies in steady regime is presented. The proposal is based on the descending hierarchical low-order and self-adaptive algorithm of Barnes-Hut, and it is used in conjunction with an indirect boundary integral formulation of second class, whose source term is a function of the undisturbed velocity. The solution field is the double layer surface density, which is modified in order to complete the eigenvalue spectrum of the integral operator. In this way, the rigid modes are eliminated and both a non-zero force and a non-null torque on the body could be calculated. The elements are low order flat triangles, and an iterative solution by generalized minimal residual (GMRES) is used. Numerical examples include cases with analytical solutions, bodies with edges and vertices, or with intricate shapes. The main advantage of the presented technique is the possibility of considering a greater number of degrees of freedom regarding traditional collocation methods, due to the decreased demand of main memory and the reduction in the computation times.

Greens function for time-harmonic elastodynamics in a half-space with hysteretic damping

Scipedia content — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 09:14:17 +0200

This paper presents an analytical solution for the steady-state response of a homogeneous three-dimensional half-space subject to a time-harmonic point load. This expresion is of great importance in the formulation of three-dimensional elastodynamic problems in a half-space by means of boundary element methods which can be employed as a Fundamental Solution. The expressions are validated comparing the results with those obtained with the boundary element method solution, where the free surface is discretized. The solution is further compared to that of a 2.5D half-space, and with experimental results available in the literature. The asymptotic behaviour of the solution is explored for different limits of the distance, frequency and wave number, and the ensuing limits are compared to existing fundamental solutions.

Proposal and validation of a modified Simulated annealing algorithm for solving optimization problems

Scipedia content — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 09:14:09 +0200

Over the last decades, heuristic optimization methods based on imitating natural, biological, social or cultural processes on a computational level have aroused the interest of the scientific community due to their ability to effectively explore multimodal and multidimensional solution spaces. Despite all the papers published in the international literature, most heuristic algorithms still have low precision and accuracy. In this context, a modified Simulated annealing algorithm (MSAA) is proposed and validated for solving optimization problems. Performance evaluation was performed on test functions (benchmark functions) with and without restrictions reported in the international literature and practical design problems in civil engineering. In all cases analyzed MSAA obtained equal or better results than those reported by other authors, illustrating the applicability of the proposed algorithm.

Numerical modelling of the cyclic structural behavior of slender steel members with restrained buckling

Scipedia content — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 09:13:45 +0200

This work presents a numerical model of the cyclic structural behavior of dissipative buckling-restrained braces, commonly used as an alternative to classical concentric braces for seismic protection of building frames and other structures. Such devices are usually composed of a slender steel core embedded in a stockiest casing that is intended to prevent its buckling when it is under compression. The casing is made either of mortar or steel, and a sliding interface is interposed between the core and the casing to prevent excessive shear stress transfer. The behavior of the steel core is described by a damage and plasticity model, the behavior of the mortar casing is described by an isotropic damage model and the sliding behavior of the interface is described by a contact penalty model. These 3 models are implemented in the Abaqus software package following an explicit formulation. In a previous article (published in an earthquake engineering journal) the model was briefly described, its ability to reproduce the cyclical behavior of buckling-restrained braces was preliminarily pointed out and their results were satisfactorily compared with those of experimental tests. The aim of this paper is to describe the model thoroughly and to present new judgments about its usefulness.

Building dynamic response due to incident wave field considering soil-structure interaction

Scipedia content — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 09:13:31 +0200

This paper presents 2 methodologies based on the Boundary Element Method and the Finite Element Method to study soil-structure interaction effect on building behaviour. A 3-story building response induced by an incident wave field is studied using both methods. The results obtained show a good agreement. Then, a simplified model is validated from these methods and several buildings are analysed. Conclusions show that structural responses are due to floor deformation, and depend on their area, support conditions and coupling. A coupling between floors and columns when both elements have similar stiffness is also observed.

Determination of the sound pressure radiation from circular pistons and non-planar rings using a simplified numerical approach

Scipedia content — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 09:13:14 +0200

Although the study of the sound pressure radiation from membranes and plates is not new, current and future applications have produced a large body of recent research in the field. Several works have been published on the radiation from general plane surfaces and some particular geometries such as rectangular, circular, elliptic and annular. However, the case of sound radiation from non-planar axisymmetric rings that could be applied to the design of coaxial loudspeakers has not received much attention. In this article, a simplified numerical approach for determining the sound pressure radiated from symmetric non-planar pistons and rings is presented. The method can also include those cases having a radially-symmetric velocity distribution.

Numerical modeling of FSW welding process incorporating a parameter estimation technique

Scipedia content — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:58:28 +0200

Numerical models of heat transfer and fluid flow used in the simulation of the friction-stir welding (FSW) process have contributed to the understanding of the process. However, there are some input model parameters that cannot be easily determined from fundamental principles or the welding conditions. As a result, the model predictions are not always in agreement with experimental results. In this work, the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) method is used in order to perform a non-linear estimation of the unknown parameters present in the heat transfer and fluid flow models, by adjusting the temperatures results obtained with the models to temperature experimental measurements. These models are implemented in a general-purpose software that uses a numerical formulation developed from the finite element method (FEM). The unknown parameters are: the friction coefficient and the amount of adhesion of material to the surface of the tool, the heat transfer coefficient on the bottom surface and the amount of viscous dissipation converted into heat. The obtained results show an improvement in the numerical model predictions from the incorporation of parameter estimation techniques.

Application of computational methods in the assessment of the aeroelastic response of cable supported bridges

Scipedia content — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:57:33 +0200

The possibilities of computational methods for assessing the response of cable supported bridges under wind action are considered in this work. The main objective is to study the possibilities of substituting wind tunnel campaigns by computer based analyses, particularly at the early design stage. The preliminary proposed design for a continuous cable-stayed bridge with two main spans of 650 m and a single box girder deck has been considered as a case study. The force coefficients of the deck cross-section have been computed and the unsteady response associated to vortex-shedding has been simulated using CFD commercial software. Furthermore, an in-house piece of software has been employed to obtain the response for flutter and buffeting phenomena adopting the hybrid approach, with that purpose the experimental flutter functions of a similar box girder deck were adopted. The computational results have been validated by comparison with similar experimental results published by other researchers. It has been verified that the set of adopted methods offers reliable results with moderate costs, therefore, the proposed approach is very suitable at the early design stage of long span bridges or at conceptual design works.

On the use of Cartesian grid finite element code in structural optimization

Scipedia content — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:57:15 +0200

Analysis of laminated beams using the natural neighbour radial point interpolation method

Scipedia content — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:56:49 +0200

In this work, a meshless method, “natural neighbour radial point interpolation method” (NNRPIM), is applied to the one‐dimensional analysis of laminated beams, considering the theory of Timoshenko. The NNRPIM combines the mathematical concept of natural neighbours with the radial point interpolation. Voronoï diagrams allows to impose the nodal connectivity and the construction of a background mesh for integration purposes, via influence cells. The construction of the NNRPIM interpolation functions is shown, and, for this, it is used the multiquadratic radial basis function. The generated interpolation functions possess infinite continuity and the delta Kronecker property, which facilitates the enforcement of boundary conditions, since these can be directly imposed, as in the finite element method (FEM). In order to obtain the displacements and the deformation fields, it is considered the Timoshenko theory for beams under transverse efforts. Several numerical examples of isotropic beams and laminated beams are presented in order to demonstrate the convergence and accuracy of the proposed application. The results obtained are compared with analytical solutions available in the literature.

Adaptive scheme for three-dimensional convection – diffusion problems

Scipedia content — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:55:58 +0200

We present an adaptive scheme for three-dimensional convection-diffusion problems discretized by the Finite Element Method. The adaptive scheme is based on a remeshing strategy that applies a maximum volume constraint to the elements of a reference mesh. The remeshing can increase or decrease drastically the size of the elements in a single step automatically. With this strategy, the mesh quality does not deteriorate, as a consequence, the number of iterations required to solve the system of linear equations using iterative algorithms is kept constant. Two examples of very different characteristics are presented in order to analyze the proposal for a wide range of situations. The first is a three-dimensional extension of the Smolarkiewicz problem and the second is a simplified version of a point source pollutant transport problem. The results show the flexibility of the proposal. An optimal remeshing frequency, from a computational cost and accuracy of the results point of view, can be defined for both kinds of problems.

Numerical solution of the equations of motion of multi-story buildings with severe nonlinearities

Scipedia content — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:54:02 +0200

This paper presents a new algorithm for solving the equations of motion of multi-storey buildings that incorporate frictional energy dissipators as seismic protection. The behavior of the dissipators is represented by Coulomb dry friction models, they introduce severe nonlinearities in the dynamic behavior of the structure every time that the contact conditions (stick or slip) change in the dissipators. These nonlinearities complicate the resolution of the equations of motion as it usually is described by lumped masses models whose degrees of freedom are the displacements of the floors and, as the stick or slip conditions change, the degrees of freedom must be modified: for blocking conditions they are only the displacements of the storeys while under sliding conditions the displacements of the dissipators have to be also considered. In previous articles the accuracy of the proposed algorithm has been verified by comparison with experimental results, as well, the computational efficiency of the algorithm has been confirmed by comparing the required resources (in terms of computation time and of memory allocation) with those of other algorithms. The objectives of this paper are to describe in detail the numerical solution of the equations of motion and present representative examples confirming the ability of the algorithm to reproduce the dynamic behavior of buildings with friction dissipators and reporting preliminarily about the usefulness of such devices to reduce the oscillations of the structure to be protected.

A probabilistic formulation of optimality criteria using the principle of maximum entropy

Scipedia content — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:53:10 +0200

This work reviews A. B. Templemans research in the maximum entropy principle applied to structural optimization, which consists in defining a probabilistic approach for the optimality criteria. This new reasoning does not assume aprioristically which conditions could be active in the optimum point, giving a completely rational point of view to the optimization problem. After reviewing the state of the art, a new formulation, which simplifies and improves previous methodologies, is developed. This new method turns the optimization problem into solving successively systems of equations with the same dimension as the number of design variables. Since this algorithm requires obtaining first order sensitivities, it can be considered as a new gradient method. After the theoretical description, the algorithm is tested with two examples of truss structures. Results show a good performance of the algorithm, based on comparisons with other alternatives found in the literature.

Efficient geometric framework for 3D images modeling

Scipedia content — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:49:20 +0200

The objective of this paper is exploring implementation of a realistic images reconstruction 3D using geometric algebra (GA). We illustrate the suitability of GA for representing structures and developing algorithms in computer graphics, especially for engineering applications as 3D images modeling. A first consequence is to propose an efficient framework model to be implemented in hardware programmable. The obtained results showed that using GA, the computations are less complex and shows as simple computations geometrical operations. The obtained model to hardware can be implemented as a next step in 3D image reconstruction. We also include the potential of GA for optimizations and highly efficient implementations.

Iber — River modelling simulation tool

Scipedia content — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:47:54 +0200

The recent requirements of Spanish regulations and directives, on their turn based on European directives, have led to the development of a new two dimensional open channel flow modelling tool. The tool, named Iber, combines a hydrodynamic module, a turbulence module and a sediment transport module, and is based in the finite volume method to solve the involved equations. The simulation code has been integrated in a pre-process and post-process interface based on GiD software, developed by CIMNE. The result is a flow and sediment modelling system for rivers and estuaries that uses advanced numerical schemes, robust and stable, which are especially suitable for discontinuous flows taking place in torrential and hydrologically irregular rivers.

Reliability analysis of reinforced concrete structures with a methodology to account stochastic effects of material properties

Scipedia content — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 12:47:04 +0200

In this paper, special emphasis is given to the inclusion of uncertainties in the evaluation of structural behaviour aiming at a better representation of the system characteristics and the quantification of the importance of these uncertainties in the project. It deals with the structural reliability analysis problem accounting the effect of spatial variability of material properties. To this end it is proposed a finite element model to represent the behaviour of reinforced concrete for short and long-term loads, which includes the main features observed in this material. It was developed a model for the generation of multidimensional non-Gaussian stochastic fields for the material properties that is independent of the finite element mesh. First, an example of a two-dimensional non-Gaussian stochastic field generation in a square steel plate is presented. Latter, the reliability analysis is performed to a limit state function based on prescribed values of mid-span displacements on a simply-supported reinforced beam. Finally, the influence of long-term effects on the reliability of a reinforced concrete beam is studied considering the effect of steel reinforcement corrosion.

Propagation of Rayleighs waves in cracked media

Scipedia content — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:25:11 +0100

This work is focused on the finding of numerical results for detection and characterization of sub-surface cracks in solids under the incidence of Rayleighs elastic waves. The results are obtained from boundary integral equations, which belong to the field of dynamics of elasticity. Once applied the boundary conditions, a system of Fredholms integral equations of second kind and zero order is obtained, which is solved using Gaussian elimination. The method that is used for the solution of such integral equations is known as the Indirect Boundary Element Method, which can be seen as a derivation of the Somiglianas classic theorem. On the basis of the analysis made in the frequency domain, resonance peaks emerge and allow us to infer the presence of cracks through the spectral ratios. Several models of cracked media were analyzed, where analyses reveal the great utility that displays the use of spectral ratios to identify cracks. We studied the effects of orientation and location of cracks. The results show good agreement with the previously published.

Automated design of prestressed concrete precast road bridges with hybrid memetic algorithms

Scipedia content — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:25:01 +0100

This paper deals with the minimum cost automatic design of precast bridge decks made of U-beams and an upper slab. It uses a hybrid memetic algorithm that combines the population search of solutions by genetic algorithms and a search by variable neighborhood. This algorithm is applied to a bridge made of two isostatic U-beams of 20-40 m of span and a width of 12 m. This example has 40 discrete variables. The evaluation module takes into account the service and ultimate limit states usually considered for these structures, i.e. flexure, shear, torsion, cracking, deflections, etc. The use of the memetic algorithm requires its previous calibration. Each of the heuristics is run 12 times, obtaining information about the minimum and average values, as well as the scatter. The parametric study showed a good correlation for the cost, the number of strands and the steel and concrete quantities with the span length. Savings have been found between 8 and 50% compared to other structures really executed. The presented procedure allows the practical application to the real design and its adaptation to the precast process.