Let us breathe. An investigation into uncertain landscapes

<p>Let us Breathe, is practice-based landscape design research. With a performative approach to knowledge creation, it explores ways to encounter and engage uncertain and vulnerable urban landscapes in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Uncertainty in the landscape and holding uncertainty in design process is the problem around which the research pivots. The inquiry is sited in a residential estuarine and wetland landscape subject to population growth along with the impacts of flooding and rising sea-levels. Drawing on the creativity of ‘non-solutionist’ thinking, design is used as an investigative lens to consider future spatial and relational possibilities across all forms of life. The research thus asks what happens to the practice of design of the landscape when uncertainty is embraced? To this end the research moves against practices that by default seek to contain water bodies and preserve the primary of terrestrial occupation for human needs. What has been discovered through the design process is a relational shift towards engaging and presenting living landscapes beyond the transactional, such asecosystem services, but of equal value.</p>

Let us breathe. An investigation into uncertain landscapes

<p>Let us Breathe, is practice-based landscape design research. With a performative approach to knowledge creation, it explores ways to encounter and engage uncertain and vulnerable urban landscapes in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Uncertainty in the landscape and holding uncertainty in design process is the problem around which the research pivots. The inquiry is sited in a residential estuarine and wetland landscape subject to population growth along with the impacts of flooding and rising sea-levels. Drawing on the creativity of ‘non-solutionist’ thinking, design is used as an investigative lens to consider future spatial and relational possibilities across all forms of life. The research thus asks what happens to the practice of design of the landscape when uncertainty is embraced? To this end the research moves against practices that by default seek to contain water bodies and preserve the primary of terrestrial occupation for human needs. What has been discovered through the design process is a relational shift towards engaging and presenting living landscapes beyond the transactional, such asecosystem services, but of equal value.</p>

Acoustic Performance of a Periodically Voided Viscoelastic Medium With Uncertainty in Design Parameters

The effect of uncertainties in material and geometric parameters on the acoustic performance of a viscoelastic coating is investigated. The model of the coating comprises a structure conventionally used in underwater applications, namely a soft elastic matrix embedded with periodic arrangements of voids. To investigate the effect of uncertainties on the acoustic performance of the coating, stochastic models based on the non-intrusive polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) method and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are developed. The same analytical formulation of the acoustic coating is employed in both stochastic models. In the PCE method, the analytical model is transformed into a computationally efficient surrogate model using stochastic collocation. The effect of uncertainty in an individual geometric or material parameter on the acoustic performance of the coating is investigated by examining the mean, envelopes, and probability distribution of the monopole resonance frequency and sound transmission through the coating. The effect of variation in combinations of geometric and material parameters is then examined. Uncertainty in the geometric parameters is observed to have greater impact on the resonance frequency of the voids and sound transmission through the coating compared to uncertainty in the material properties.

Risk-Based Analysis of Femoral Stem Considering Uncertainty in its Design Parameters

The number of young people getting total hip arthroplasty surgery is on the rise and studies have shown that the average number of perfect health years after such surgery is being reduced to about 9 years; this is because of complications which can lead to the failure of such implants. Consequently, such failures cause the implant not to last as long as required. The uncertainty in design parameters, loading, and even the manufacturing process of femoral stems, makes it important to consider uncertainty quantification and probabilistic modeling approaches instead of the traditional deterministic approach when designing femoral stems. This paper proposes a probabilistic analysis method which considers uncertainties in the design parameters of femoral implants to determine its effect on the implant stiffness. Accordingly, this method can be used to improve the design reliability of femoral stems. A simplified finite element model of a femoral stem was considered and analyzed both deterministically and probabilistically using Monte Carlo simulation. The results showed that uncertainties in design parameters can significantly affect the resulting stiffness of the stem. This paper proposes an approach that can be considered a potential solution for improving, in general, the reliability of hip implants and the predicted stiffness values for the femoral stems so as to better mitigate the stress shielding phenomenon.

FLOOD FREQUENCY ESTIMATION UNCERTAINTY IN DESIGN PRACTICE: CASE STUDY OF SREMSKA MITROVICA, SAVA RIVER

Flood frequency estimation is one of the most important tasks for hydraulic engineers. Design of hydraulic structures and systems require reliable estimates of high waters, which is not always easy to deliver. In this paper, uncertainty of flood frequency estimation common in practical use is presented in the case study of the Sava River at the Sremska Mitrovica hydrological station. Time series of 42 years daily flow records are statistically analysed on two samples, comprising annual maxima (AM), and peaks over threshold (POT). For uncertainty assessment, samples are analysed for several different scenarios, i.e. varying AM sample length as well as threshold flow for POT. Results indicate large uncertainty of flood frequency estimates, especially in the domen of low probabilities, as well as problem of adopting final value for practical use that will provide safety and optimum cost of the structures.