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Swimming Pool Blog
by Rob Cox, June 28, 2010
10 Steps to Replacing a Pool Light
Underwater pool lights don't last forever. Bulbs, Gaskets, Lens are parts in good supply, but eventually the body of the light fixture, the socket or the cord may fail. At this point you will need to replace the entire fixture or pool lamp, as they are sometimes called.
It is likely that since the time you put in your pool, the technology has improved in underwater lighting. Halogen and LED lamps predominate now, and fiber optic lighting has gained a small foothold in the market. Color Changing lamps or bulbs are really popular now as well.
So, if you are replacing your pool light, you can replace like with like, or you can consider some of the energy conserving LED pool lamps, with color changing ability.
But wait! Not all Lamps will fit all light niches. The light niche is the "bucket" in the wall. The width and depth of your light niche will determine which pool light choices are available to you. Consult your favorite pool dealer (hope that it's poolcenter.com!) to match up your light niche to lamps which will fit.
But assuming that you have made the hard choices, decided against all the available options nowadays, determined your voltage and length of cord needed and are now ready to install your new pool light - how is a new pool light installed?
1. Shut off power at the breaker. It should be a GFCI protected circuit. This is the one with the yellow "test" button. In most areas of the country, pool lights are 120V - so make sure your light circuit is GFCI protected! In Maryland, and a few other states, pool lights are required to be 12V. Make sure you bought the correct voltage pool light! The label on the light should tell you. Or, if you are 12V - you will have a transformer wired into the circuit, in between the breaker and the junction box. There is no need to lower the water level in the pool to change the light.
2. Locate the Junction Box and remove the cover. The junction box, aka J-box, is usually located directly behind the light, at the edge of the pooldeck, at a height of 12" above the water level. If your pool is very old, the j-box may be located IN the deck, at deck level. This is unsafe, and should be brought up to code, by entending the conduit from this box to an above ground arrangement described above. The distance from the J-box to the light niche, plus 4 feet extra, is what determines the length of cord needed when purchasing your light. The extra 4 feet is necessary to allow enough cord to pull the light up on the pool deck for future maintenance.
3. Disconnect the wiring. Green will be grounded. And the hot and neutral lines will be wire nutted together with the pool light cord. Save the wire nuts. Make sure the light cord does not fall down into the conduit as you are working.
4. Pull the existing pool light up on the deck and cut off the cord at the back of the light. Clean and dry the existing cord. Lay the new cord and the old cord end to end and using Duct Tape, secure the existing (old) cord to the end of the new. Use diagonal, overlapping taping, being careful to keep it slender. If too bulky it may get stuck at a turn or connection in the conduit.
If you don't want to cut the cord from the back of the old light, tape a string or fishtape to the end of the cord, at the J-box. Pull the string or tape through the conduit and out of the niche, then tape securely to the end of the new light cord and pull the new cord back through the conduit and up to the J-box.
5. Standing at the junction box, pull up on the cord, hand over hand motion, until the new cord is drawn up through the conduit and out of the J-box. Cut or peel off the duct tape. It helps to pull the new pool light cord out straight, to remove the coil memory of the cord. It also is helpful to have a helper hanging over the edge of the pool, pushing the new cord into the conduit.
If you are having trouble at this point, getting the cord to move through the conduit, the conduit opening at the back of the niche may have been sealed with putty or silicone. This is done in many cases on leaking pools, to fix a leak in the conduit, or to rule out the conduit as a leak source. In this case, you would be advised to lower the water level, so that you can work on removing the packed in putty, or silicone.
6. Cut the new cord to the proper length. Leave just enough cord sticking out into the pool to allow the light to be pulled up on deck. After cutting the cord at the junction box, strip the cord casing down to the base of the j-box. If there is a clamp to secure the cord, tighten this, so the cord does not slip down into the conduit.
7. Strip the wires of the new cord and wire nut them to the wires coming from your breaker box. Make tight connections and then securely replace the lid to the junction box.
8. Coil the cord behind the new fixture and secure the new lamp into the niche. The usual attachment method is to insert the tab at 6 o'clock and then tighten the screw at 12:00. If your screw tab has broken off, and there is no threaded screw receiver, you can use a Light Wedge to fix this common problem.
9. Test your light! Important to mention that a pool light turned on without being underwater will quickly overheat, shattering the lens! You are OK to do a quick 1 second test, but left on for 30 seconds or so, and it will literally explode.
10. Congratulate yourself on saving hundreds of dollars - doing your own pool repairs.


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The CitizenWeb Project
At the end of last year, I wrote about DIY "cloud" services; how to get started with your own web server, blog, e-mail server, chat server, VOIP server. Add to that distributed services for social networking and micro-blogging like Dispora and Identi.ca; free software for file sharing like GNUNet; and even free and intendant dark / mesh nets. The trend is clear, there is strong momentum towards free software and alternative services.
Now there is also a public face to this, in the form of a new initiative: The CitizenWeb Project.
"The CitizenWeb Project is a mission to fight for a free, open, and above all a decentralized Internet. In order to achieve this, it aims to empower everyday internet users with the information and resources they need to take matters into their own hands. We seek to spread the word about how to secure yourself online and how to declare "digital independence" in this age of the Google hivemind and Facebook privacy nightmares. While these services may be convenient, they carry very dangerous implications for our freedoms. This is only getting worse with time, as the corporations behind these services become entangled and indiscernable from government services and real-life social obligation. And it is only getting worse for the most sensitive users: journalists, activists, muckrakers and whistleblowers.
There are viable alternatives to these invasive and ubiquitous services. The CitizenWeb Project is therefore focused on giving the tools to each individual user to become an independent "citizen" of the Web — to decentralize their social networks and platforms, to become the TRUE owners of their data, and to communicate and network in security."

subset: commoncrawl


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|Talk You Out Of It
|This Is How We Roll
|Get Your Shine On
|Round Here
Feb 2019 • 19 songs
Aug 2016 • 15 songs
Aug 2016 • 31 songs
Florida Georgia Line came out of nowhere in 2012 to become the biggest country group of the new decade. The vehicle for their success was "Cruise," a slick, shimmering ode to the wide-open road that eventually became the biggest country single of all time. After "Cruise" broke through, its life became extended with a remix featuring rapper Nelly. This unexpected collaboration pushed the single all the way to number four on the Hot 100, but at that point it was clear that the appeal of "Cruise" lay in Florida Georgia Line's unabashedly polished pop perspective. Unlike some fell... Read more


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Back-to-School Note-Taking with the Livescribe Echo Smartpen
As September rushes in, one of the more unusual but potentially useful back-to-school items to consider is the Livescribe Echo Smartpen. At first glance, this looks like a normal pen, maybe a little wider and heavier, but it has a number of built-in functions, including the ability to record audio and link that audio to text notes you are taking.
Essentially, it works with smart paper—typically notebooks the company wants you to buy, although you can print your own—that synchronizes your handwritten notes with the audio it is recording. For instance, you can take notes in class just as you normally would, but also record what your teacher is saying. Then, when you go back to review your notes while studying, if you don't understand something, you can re-listen to what the teacher said. It's better than just a plain audio recording because the system lets you immediately jump to the audio that corresponds with your notes.
The pen captures your handwriting as well as the audio. Using an application called Livescribe Connect, you can play back the audio and handwriting, upload these online to services such as Evernote, and even share your notes. (Although, I'm not quite sure I would ever want to do that, given my illegible handwriting.)
For some students, I can see this being extremely interesting, particularly if you have trouble keeping up with a complex discussion. And not only can you write notes, but you can draw diagrams too. Little markings on the paper let you pause or resume the recording. Livescribe offers some simple applications, with reference information and the like, as well as a music player, which could be handy but redundant if you have a separate music player or smartphone.
I've used this a bit for note-taking and find it particularly helpful if I'm going to take notes I will want to review in a few weeks or months. (For the daily stuff, plain note-taking seems to work for me.) I wish the pen was a little smaller and easier to hold since I have relatively small hands and I wish that it worked with any kind of paper, but I understand the limitations.
I know more and more students want to take notes on a laptop or tablet, but there's something to be said for using a pen and paper. This is a mixture of the old and new that I like a lot.
Read PCMag's review.


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The single foot fly guides SFG/BSFG/GSFG are hard chrome plated
stainless steel in chrome, black chrome, and TiChrome. The guides only require one wrap.
This not only eliminates half the labor but it also reduces the weight of the rod
with the exclusion of the additional thread and epoxy needed to wrap
conventional two foot guides. The blank also has a more desirable parabolic flex
pattern. The wider diameter ring allows the line and leader to shoot more
freely, reducing line contact with the blank when casting. The reduced friction
further translates into greater casting efficiency.


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The place to talk about your animus and mangos, and other things that would normally fit in an /a/ board.
Review & Recommend anime & manga in this subforum.
Talk about your favorite visual novels here such as Katawa Shoujo!
Light novel is Japanese style novel mainly targeted for teen audiences, written in about 200 pages. They include few illustrations and have more dialogues than the narration.
This forum is for all the fashion, accessories and cosplay of the Japanese variety
by Backlash
by mikuhatsune
by Deafness
by Equinox
by Lancelot
by sofrosina
by animeguy
by Shole
by SkullCandyy
by animeguy
by 2AMPE
by Akko
by Em.
by animeguy
by YuuHasoyuki
by Akko
by Akko
by Akko


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Frugal Fourth of July Ideas
If you can't imagine a summer get-together without some ice cream, you're in luck -- July happens to be National Ice Cream Month. Look out for special sales starting on the first of the month, and keep your eyes open for cost-cutting coupons online and in store circulars.
Of course, there's nothing like a good BBQ at July Fourth parties, but not all meats are good for your budget. Beef is particularly expensive. According to the USDA, prices right now are at an all-time high, up more than 56 percent since 2010 alone. So, try using cheaper cuts like chuck short ribs or beef back ribs.
Another good alternative is to just use chicken, which is not only healthier, it has a lower price per pound. You can also lower your grilling costs by making shish kebabs. With these, you can make a little meat go a long way.
Lastly, don't think of desserts as just after-party sweets. They can do double-duty as decorations, too. Think red, white and blue frosting, or, for an inexpensive delight, bowls of blueberries and raspberries topped with whipped cream.
While we're on the topic of berries, make sure to avoid varieties that aren't in season, which will be more expensive. Instead, use cheaper berries of the same color or simply buy frozen ones, which work just as well.
Those are just a few ways you can free up your budget this Fourth of July. Give them a try, and see the savings for yourself.
See Gallery


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Boneless Lamb cooked with Tomatoes
2 Lb Lamb, boneless pieces
1 Cup vegetable oil
2 lb Tomatoes, red, pulpy and blended
2-3 tbsp water
250 gms of green chilies, large cut into 3/4" pieces
Salt to taste
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok (kadhai), add the tomatoes and cook till the oil separates, stirring continuously.
2. Add the lamb and cook on slow to medium heat till it is almost tender, stirring and adding little water occasionally only to prevent it from sticking and burning at the bottom.
3. When the lamb is almost tender, add the salt and green chilies.
4. Cook till the green chilies are soft and the lamb is dry.
5. Serve hot with Roti or Rice.


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House prices leapt by 10.2 per cent year-on-year in July marking the strongest annual upswing seen since 2007, the Halifax has reported.
The increase pushed average property values to £186,322, with a 1.4 per cent uplift also recorded month-on-month, reversing a 0.4 per cent monthly dip in June.
The annual increase in house prices is the strongest seen since a 10.7 per cent rise was recorded in September 2007 and the latest figures also mark the first time since then that year-on-year house price growth has hit double digits.
The Halifax - part of the Lloyds Banking Group which employs 6,000 staff in Calderdale - said that month-on-month price changes can often be volatile and quarterly movements in prices tend to give a better indication of the underlying trend in the market.
On a quarterly basis, house prices in the three months to July were 3.6 per cent higher than in the three months to April, representing the biggest quarterly uplift since December 2006.
Stephen Noakes, mortgages director at the Halifax, said: "While supply remains low, housing demand continues to be supported by a continuing economic recovery, growth in employment, improving consumer confidence and low mortgage rates."
Halifax's figures also reveal that average house prices are now more than five times wages for the first time since summer 2008.
In a sign that borrowers are stretching their finances more to own their home, the price-to-earnings ratio edged up to 5.02 in July, from 4.96 in June.
The last time that property values were as much as five times average earnings was July 2008 and the last time the ratio was higher than it is now was June 2008, when it reached 5.09.
The Halifax uses average earnings for men working full-time to calculate the ratio for house prices relative to average wages.
Mr Noakes said that earnings growth "is still lagging behind consumer price inflation".
House prices have continued to record strong increases despite some signs that the pace of the housing market recovery has been slowing down slightly since stricter mortgage lending rules came into force at the end of April.
The Mortgage Market Review (MMR) rules force lenders to ask applicants more detailed questions about their spending habits to check whether they could truly afford their repayments. Lenders also have to apply "stress tests" to make sure a borrower could comfortably cope as and when interest rates rise.
A separate house price report from Nationwide Building Society, which was published last week, also reported strong growth in property values. Nationwide said its study showed prices have jumped by 10.6% annually, although it said the pace of growth is slowing.


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Holiday Parks: The Best Way to Experience Northland
New Zealand's Northland features some of the best sights nature has to offer.
New Zealand's Northland features some of the best sights nature has to offer. With its black and white sandy beaches, rugged coasts, rolling pastures and native bush, Northland is the perfect playground for the camper, tramper, swimmer or cyclist.
If you're choosing to travel to Northland, camping in a Kiwi Holiday Park is the ideal way to experience this beautiful part of Aotearoa. There are six holiday parks to choose from, and each is a must-see for travelers!
Ahipara Holiday Park
Located at the very beginning of 90 mile beach, Ahipara is the perfect spot for adventure lovers. Here you'll find a world-class surf break at Shipwreck Bay, great fishing spots, quad bike tours and hire, horse trekking, sand-boarding and an 18 hole Golf course. The holiday park has a range of accommodation options including camping grounds, campervan facilities, cabins, tourist flats and a park motel.
Bay of Islands Holiday Park
The Bay of Islands is one of New Zealand's most popular holiday destinations for good reason! There are so many sights to see, including Keri Keri, Waitangi, the Hole in the Rock, and dolphin watching tours. This holiday park has plenty of room for your boats and trailers, as well as game and sport facilities.
Baylys Beach Holiday Park
14km west of Dargaville, Baylys Beach Holiday Park is just walking distance from a beautiful 100km stretch of white sandy beach. Located close to restaurants, a golf course, horse trekking and New Zealand's largest Kauri tree, you couldn't find a better place for your next holiday.
Matakohe Holiday Park
Located just 350m from Matakohe Kauri Museum, souvenir shop and beach, at the Matakohe Holiday Park you can enjoy peace and quiet, and views of the harbour. The holiday park has a range of facilities for tents and campervans, or you can stay in a cabin or park motel. Full toilet and shower facilities, laundry room, a fully equipped kitchen and BBQ means you can enjoy modern comfort and the beautiful rural setting.
Alpha Holiday Park
Whangarei is full of beaches, cafes, and holiday activities, and is a must-see during your stay in Northland. Alpha Holiday Park features apartment accommodation, cabins, and campervan and camping grounds. Make use of the BBQ area, large kitchen, spacious lounge and dining area, and entertainment facilities during your stay.
Pakiri Beach Holiday Park
Pakiri Beach Holiday Park is ideal for a relaxing getaway. With a lodge, seaside cottages, tourist flats, en-suite cabins, and on-site caravans, you can stay in comfort while getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Explore Pakiri beach, go kayaking, surfing, or fishing, or stop by the local cafes and vineyards.
Whether you're in need of a family trip, a romantic getaway, or a relaxing escape, Northland is the perfect destination for your New Zealand holiday. To find out more about Northland accommodation, visit the Kiwi Holiday Parks website


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news & events
Stay up-to-date about Cradle to Cradle® developments
Wolford launches first C2C Collection
Wolford is bringing the C2C approach into to lingerie business. We have summarized some newsfeeds for you. Click here for the youtube video of Wolford. Click here to read the article in Dutch. Click here for the press article in English.
Learnings from developing world's first C2C gold jeans
Fashion for Good has publish learnings from developing the world's first Gold Level C2C Certified jeans with C&A & C2C Certified, they're calling on the industry to work with us to transition towards circular fashion. Click here to read more.
C2C Congress Luneburg 14 & 15 September
The next Cradle to Cradle Congress will take place on 14. & 15. September 2018 at Leuphana University in Lüneburg. As in previous years, there will be workshops and keynotes on the implementation of Cradle to Cradle, amongst others by Prof. Dr. Mojib Latif, Prof. Dr. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker and Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart. This year's...
Forbes publishes online article about G-Star
Source: Forbes What makes G-Star RAW's denim their most sustainable ever? "From new, sustainable washing techniques to the creation of the cleanest indigo dyes in the business, this denim is... a crowning achievement for the Dutch brand and has earned them a coveted Gold level certification from Cradle To Cradle Products Innovation Institute, an...
Fashion for Good "How to Guide" Handbook for Garment Manufacturers to Produce C2C Products
Source: Fashion for Good Fashion for Good recognises the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Certified™ Product Standard [1]as one way to measure good fashion, and hence embarked on the successful development of the world's first two C2C Certified GOLD T-shirts. Based on this experience, Fashion for Good has created this practical and in-depth How-To Guide to...
C2C Certified next step for C&A
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) CertifiedTM is the next step towards a more sustainable and circular future. C&A is proud to be the first fashion retailer worldwide to launch C2C Certified T-shirts that have achieved GOLD level. Making a difference –with C2C Certified they are able to create a new future, one that includes a cycle of use, reuse and...
C2C Expert Talks 2017 Austria - May 16
We are very pleased to announce, Expert Talks 2017, which will discuss the main question: How can the C2C model example textile industry be transferred to other industries? For the 5th time, experts and pioneers take the first hour of the Circular Economy to the Cradle to Cradle-expert talks in 2017 to share knowledge and to network further. ...
Bionic Yarn - Bronze Level Cradle to Cradle Certified
Bionic Yarn has recently been awarded a Cradle to Cradle certification at the BRONZE-Level for its HLX and DPX yarn structures. The assessment work for these unique and and versatile yarns was conduced by MBDC. These yarns enable product designers and brands to achieve a positive step forward in environmental considerations, performance, and...
Evolving Responsible Fashion with Cradle to Cradle Design
By Brendon Rowen - Director at Cradle to Cradle Marketplace The concept of Cradle to Cradle® Design has been slowly and diligently infiltrating mainstream fashion debates, articles and fashion consciousness over the last few years. Prof. Frances Corner, Head of the London College of Fashion recently quoted the term 'cradle to cradle' in her superb...
H&M announced a award for recycling assistance
Source: h&m H&m published an online article. They announced a new global change award for recycling assistance. Click here to read more.
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Treatment for Triple Negative Disease
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
Are there any specific recommendations for treating triple negative disease? My sister has had conflicting recommendations.
Carolyn Vachani RN, MSN, AOCN, OncoLink's Nurse Educator, responds:
Triple negative breast cancer gets this name because the tumor has tested negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and Her-2/Neu receptors. This is identified on the pathology report. It is estimated that triple negative breast cancer accounts for 15% of breast cancer cases, but is most common in young (<40 years old), black, and Hispanic women, despite the fact that breast cancer overall is less common in black women. Researchers are not sure why this happens, but are studying these tumors to learn more.
Triple negative disease was only recently identified to be a unique group of breast cancers, so not a lot is known about how to treat them. One concern is that the lack of receptors makes hormone therapy and therapy with trastuzumab (which targets Her-2/Neu) ineffective in these people. In addition, studies have shown that triple negative tumors lead to poorer survival, regardless of the stage at diagnosis. The survival was poorest among black women with triple negative tumors. This has led some researchers to focus on finding a "target" within this subtype of breast cancer that can be used in treatment (the way Her-2 is in trastuzumab therapy). So, someday these tumors will be positive for something that we can target.
Some studies have shown that these breast cancers may respond better to chemotherapy than others. One study demonstrated a benefit to including weekly Taxol in the regimen. Other studies are looking at including platinum chemotherapies (cisplatin, carboplatin), but results are not available yet. Clinical trials are currently looking at various treatment regimens to determine which is best. Women who are facing this treatment decision should have a conversation with their healthcare team about what is known, what trials are available to them, and the potential risks and benefits of these trials. It is not an easy decision because so little is known, but we hope to change that in the coming years.
Read more about research in the area of triple negative disease at the NCI.


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Good morning and/or afternoon, Arsians! Our partners at LogicBuy have produced another fine list of deals for you all to peruse, starting with a few hundred bucks off of Dell's flagship 27-inch UltraSharp U2713H. It's a desk-filling kind of 16:9 monitor, and you know how I feel about monitors—you can never have enough!
Not to leave out our international buddies, the LogicBuy folks are also continuing to add some more deals for non-USA readers. We've got a few more tidbits from our UK and Canada friends, and we're looking to add more. It's an ongoing process!
Top deal:
- 27" Dell UltraSharp U2713H 2560x1440 IPS-panel LCD Monitor (Flagship 2013 Model) for $719.99 with free shipping (normally $999.99 - use coupon code 8DLLTQCTZ8SPBX)
Laptops and desktops:
- Toshiba Satellite P50-ABT2N22 15.6" 4th Gen "Haswell" Core i5 Laptop w/12GB RAM, 1080p screen, 3-year warranty, Case for $629.99 with free shipping (normally $1,098.99 - use coupon code OFFERS700 | final price seen in checkout)
- Alienware X51 4th-gen Core i7 "Haswell" mini Gaming PC w/ 1.5GB GeForce GTX 660 for $1,099 with free shipping (normally $1,199)
- HP ENVY Rove 20-k014us 4th-gen Core i3 "Haswell" Mobile Desktop w/ 20" IPS HD+ Touchscreen, Wireless Keyboard + Mouse, 4GB RAM, 1TB Hard Drive, Beats Audio & Windows 8 for $930.99 with free shipping (normally $979.99 - use coupon code SVD8492)
- 27" Dell S2740L 1080p IPS LED-backlit LCD Monitor for $278.99 with free shipping (normally $369.99 - use coupon code 8DLLTQCTZ8SPBX)
- 23" Dell S2340T 1080p Multi-touch IPS Monitor w/ built-in Dock (DisplayPort, HDMI, Ethernet and USB 3.0 ports) for $549.99 with free shipping (normally $699.99 - use coupon code T8ND6DRQNQSM15)
- 1TB Seagate Barracuda 3.5" SATA 6Gbps Internal Hard Drive for $62.99 with free shipping (normally $69.99 - use coupon code 6XR$VZZ$QF35T9)
Gadgets and portables:
- Nokia Luna Bluetooth Headset for $19.99 with free shipping (normally $59.99)
- 11.6" Lenovo IdeaTab Lynx Intel Atom Dual-core Windows 8 Tablet w/64GB SSD, 2GB RAM, microHDMI for $429 with free shipping (normally $649 - use coupon code TABLETOFFERS)
- 60" LG 60PN6550 1080p 600Hz Plasma HDTV + $200 Gift Card for $729.99 with free shipping (normally $729.99 without gift card)
- BioShock Infinite + BioShock 1 & 2 (PC Download) for $34.99 (normally $50)
Office and miscellaneous:
- Relaxzen Massage Recliner and Ottoman for $144 with free shipping (normally $310.29)
- Timbuk2 Amnesia 15" Laptop Backpack for $54.99 with free shipping (normally $99.99)
- Free Amazon Prime 1-Month Trial + $10 Gift Card with Prime Membership Purchase
Deals for the UK:
- WD TV Live Media Player w/built-in WiFi, Ethernet, USB, HDMI ports for £59 with free shipping (normally £89)
- 15.6" Lenovo IdeaPad Z500 Touch Core i7 Laptop w/ 8GB RAM, 1TB Hard Drive & 2GB GeForce GT 740M Graphics for £699.99 with free shipping (normally £799.99 - use coupon code LASTCHANCEZ500T)
Deals for Canada:


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We understand that most plumbing problems need to be addressed right away—that's why we offer service when you need it most, no matter the time of day or night. We provide around-the-clock emergency plumbing in Allenton and the surrounding areas so you never have to worry, even when a pipe bursts in the middle of the night or your water heater stops working on a holiday weekend. Our uniformed technicians are always professional and courteous, and we offer honest, straightforward pricing for every job we take on.
Burst pipes can cause a big mess in your house and this can be a dull pain for any homeowner. The cleanup from burst pipes can bow to much grow old and effort, but repairs can be conducted in a timely manner. Depending upon the location and depth of the broken pipe, the damage could be minimal or quite extensive. A simple water leak or broken pipe can speedily snowball into an every out plumbing catastrophe, throwing your vibrancy into chaos.
Dont let a broken pipe wreak havoc upon your 53002 home! Just following the ablaze of your home, general wear and age can cause your plumbing to deteriorate. Pipes can also rupture due to freezing, invasion by tree roots, old materials, easily reached construction, varying soil, and more. The best artifice to prevent the craving for damage pipe repair is to watch for signs of a problem. Its always best to catch a suffering early.
Allenton, WI Same Day Plumbing | 888-657-5943
If you don't desire to waste hours of your period grating to find the source of your sprinkler pipe leak, why not call in the pros? We can incite you acquire your plumbing system put up to upon track. We give fast and trustworthy repairs in or on the order of the Allenton WI area, enthusiastic taking into account the best materials available. To learn more or to start your pipe repair today, occupy call us today.
The appliances in your home could be a source of cracked or broken hosing, fixtures, or piping. You use all of your appliances in relation to upon a daily basis, and some of them tend to move on or shake which can cause associates to leak or break. We understand that emergency pipe fix needs rude attention. Thats why we are clear 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to solve your most urgent plumbing problems. Plumbing is important to any home or business. While most plumbing systems are built to last, problems can occur. Attempting to repair your own plumbing can be frustrating and time-consuming. Why not let one of our professional plumbers take care of it instead? Our trained technicians are experts in handling any plumbing problem that you may have.
53002 Emergency Plumber Services
|53002 Broken Pipe
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|Copper Pipe Repair
|Burst Water Pipe
|Pipe Leak
|Pipe Repair Allenton WI
|Burst Pipe
|Same Day Sewer Repair 53002
|Fixing a Burst Pipe
|Allenton WI Broken Water Pipes
|Sewer Line Repair
|Water Pipe Leak Repair 53002
|Frozen Pipes
|Allenton WI Trenchless Pipe Bursting
|Sewer Line Inspection
|Drain Repair 53002


text:
|Newest Games
|Latest Scores
|Bestest Players
|Hottest Games (plays)
Fire Fighter Pinball
Leisure Suit Larry: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards
Circus Bubbles
Cut The Rope
Slots: Under The Sea
Ramses Treasure Slot Machine
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
4th and Inches
Absolute Pinball
The Incredible Machine
The Crimson Crown
Alice In Wonderland 2
Falling Candy
Space Cubes
Age Of War
KCLY Diamond
Base Jumping
Hugo 3: Jungle of Doom
Hugos House of Horrors
mike (93 Wins)
masodo (34 Wins)
dara (30 Wins)
Harmony (16 Wins)
weme (13 Wins)
games2win (11 Wins)
Slingo Delux (2093)
Mixed Slingo (1971)
Scramble! (1949)
FWG Pinball (1947)
Solitaire Golf SLingo (1947)
Cargo Bridge (1934)
Skee Ball (1925)
Bejeweled (1907)
Ultimate Greed Poker Slingo (1906)
Yahtzee (1893)
backGammon (1869)
Angry Birds (1833)
Mah Jongg Garden (1820)
Big Kahuna Slots (1806)
Gold Rush Slot (1797)
Plumber 2 (1793)
Yahtzee! (1784)
Patience Delux (1777)
8 Ball Champion (1773)
Captain Skyro (1769)
Thanks for visiting DeBurger Game Room. I hope you enjoy yourself while you're here and look forward to your continued participation. Many improvements have been (and are continuing to be) made - check your settings for some exciting new options. Although most testing is done on the PracticalLightning Arcade sometimes my goofing around might break this installation so sorry for any inconvenience that sort of thing might cause. In other words: "Pardon our dust"
Although most every game is thoroughly tested by yours' truly, there might develop a problem with a game - if you come across a problem game please file a report by clicking the "Red Flag" icon on the game's "PLAY" page, leave a brief explanation of the trouble you had so I can investigate. If you need to reach out to me on other matters please feel free to send me a PM in the FORUM or email me at email@example.com
Please: No Targeting! No Cheating! Comments are Welcome!
The DOS Games are playable here online but unfortunately scores are not recorded to the arcade. However, all DOS Games are now available for download (for logged-in members of the arcade) so they can be played offline on your own computer using the DOSBOX program. DOSBOX acts as a virtual machine for the DOS environment, allowing you to save progress, record high-scores and improve performance (just as these games were designed to be enjoyed.) Click the link to the left to download DOSBOX for your system and look for the DOSBOX logo on the game's "PLAY" page to download the game as zip file.
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|Striking Arrows
|Top Score
|Here comes a game to test your targeting skills. The obstacles increases with each level and you have a total of 12 levels to win the task. . Game does NOT save progress.
Play Full
Played 141 Times
View Highscores
|Practical-Lightning-Arcade [PLA] 2.0 (BETA) by practicallightning Web Design [DPI&D]
|Execution Time: 10.437706
|Queries Used: 67


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I am writing in response to the Oct. 28 letter to the editor from Joseph H. Brose, "Stacy clients victims."
I agree with Brose that it is reasonable to evaluate the performance of the Irene Stacy Community Mental Health Center prior to my engagement and then since I assumed the position of executive director in February.
At the time of my arrival, the center was fiscally challenged due to having spent more than it earned for several years. The progressive and mounting deficit was met through spending reserves and through borrowing on a line of credit.
It should be obvious to any reasonable person that this was dangerous fiscal behavior and that a quick response was required to avoid severe consequences.
The board and I, accordingly, took immediate action to control costs by eliminating administrative overhead. Nobody was fired and no clinical positions were eliminated. Instead, the board and I consistently reassured the staff that, as long as they were doing enough work to pay for their own salaries, they would have nothing to worry about.
There always are some who, for a variety of reasons, are underperforming, and we are working with these staff members to increase their performance.
Unfortunately, there also are a few who find it easier to complain about their work than to correct their own poor performance.
On balance, I do not think it is fair to characterize these steps to strengthen the center as "absurd" or "non-professional." With regard to recent resignations, I will state simply that people move on for a variety of reasons.
From our perspective, we appreciate any contributions from former employees that have been made, wish them well, and are very confident that we will find equally committed professionals (in fact, in most cases we already have).
We work hard to ensure that these changes, however necessary, have minimal impact on those we serve. If anyone is experiencing a problem in this regard, they may contact me directly at the center.
Finally, it is difficult to know how to respond to Brose's query regarding an alleged lawsuilt with my last employer. If Brose can find any evidence that such a lawsuit exists, I will be happy to resign on the spot, if that is his desire.
Unfortunately, this is an example of an untruth that can potentially influence others to reach false conclusions about our efforts to improve the center.
I invite anyone who is interested to contact us here at the center to learn the facts about our situation, before reaching conclusions based on rumors such as a lawsuit that does not exist.
As I have informed our staff, people have a choice: They either can contact center leadership to learn the truth or they can continue to participate in the "drama."
I realize that participating in the drama is more fun, but taking the time to learn the facts is the path to take if one really is serious about limiting the impact of change on our clients.
We are interested in working with all interested parties to accomplish the hard work ahead that will ensure that our services are the very best available, offered in a center that is financially viable.


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Digital Camera News, 2/17/08
Nikon posts new D300 firmware version
Nikon has released firmware version 1.02 for its D300 digital SLR. Per the announcement, the latest version corrects "an issue that, in rare cases, caused vertical bands (lines) to appear in images captured at shutter speeds slower than 8s."
To download the updated firmware using either a PC or Macintosh, visit the link to Nikon's site here.
Sigma SD14 firmware update announced
Firmware version 1.06 for Sigma's SD14 has been released on the manufacturer's website. The update improves the accuracy of the camera's white balance system, fixes an image recorded date issue, and makes some changes to the camera's image review and shutter release button functionalities.
The firmware update may be found on Sigma's website; the link is here.
New wide-angle, telephoto four-thirds system lenses announced
Speaking of Sigma, the company is now providing those of you with four-thirds format DSLRs (including popular models from Olympus and Panasonic) with another option for extreme wide-angle glass. The Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM, currently available in other standard mounts, provides a sufficiently wide (94.5 degrees) angle of view on four-thirds cameras.
With an hyper-sonic motor (HSM internal focusing system, the new lens, which provides an equivalent range of 20-40mm, promises fast, near-silent focusing, with a minimum focusing distance of just under 10 inches at all focal lengths.
At the other end of the range, the 70-200mm f/2.8 II EX DG HSM functions like a 140-400mm long telephoto unit on a four-thirds camera. Designed with multiple SLD and ELD lens elements to correct for optical faults, the 70-200mm's glass is also coated to reduce flare and ghosting.
Incorporating internal focusing and zooming systems, the external length of the lens does not change when the focal length or focus is adjusted. As with the 10-20mm, the new telephoto model uses an HSM for quiet, quick auto-focus performance.
Both lenses should be available in April. No word yet on US street pricing.


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If using data from a population-based source other than SEER*Stat, HD*Calc has a method to use a special data import dialog to provide specifications for a regular text file. Refer to the tutorials on preparing input data files to learn how to create a data input file from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).
- To import the data, launch HD*Calc, select select Open... from the File Menu.
- Change the Files of type option to Import Text Files (*.txt, *.dat., *.csv).
- Browse to the location of the text file and select Open.
- The HD*Calc Data Import Dialog screen displays when the file is opened.
- In the edit box at the top please provide a Title for your input data. This title will be displayed with the resulting disparity measures.
- Use the Dictionary edit box to select a file for storing your data input specifications.
- The checkbox indicating that your Data File Contains Column Headers should be checked if your data contains column headers.
- Check the box to indicate that your Statistics are Sorted by All Variables In Their Order. This will speed up retrieval of records during computation.
- Select Fields Are Character Delimited and choose the appropriate Delimiter for your text file.
- You must now specify a Field Type for each field in the List of Fields. Use the Add or Change buttons to open the Edit Format dialog to provide the specifications for each field/variable, including the variable type. A Disparity Variable, a Time Variable, and a Rate Statistic are required. A Population Count is required for some of the disparity measures. Add a Standard Error Statistic if you wish to take advantage of the full functionality of the program, both in terms of related measure information and graphic display selections.
- Select OK when the data specifications are complete.
- You will be prompted to answer the following question to specify whether the disparity groups in your data are ranked:
"REMINDER: Some disparity measures apply only to groups that have an inherent ranking, such as by income or education.
(Lower left)
Are the disparity groups ranked? (Yes/No)"
- Once the appropriate response is made, HD*Calc will automatically calculate the corresponding values for each of the disparities measures. You are now ready to view the information contained under each tab heading.


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Hi everyone. I am an obsessive Desktop Dungeons player who deleted his game to keep himself in check. I thought using the Steam backup feature would preserve my saved kingdom for when I didn't have to work so hard on my real job. It didn't. So, tech support suggested ask the community if anyone out there has a saved game I could have that would get me close to where I left off. Otherwise, I don't think I can play the 15+ hours I already slogged through (this game is hard, I died a lot!). Below is a list of attributes my poor obliterated kingdom of Brokelyn possessed:
- I had the first two ranks of all the following classes: mage, fighter, thief, cleric
- I had the following races: humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings
- I had the blacksmith upgrade with the three storage slots; I had the bank upgraded twice
- I had the demonic market upgrade that added four additional vending machines to each dungeon
- I was on the "Unlikely Hero" quest and still had not found the witch in a random subdungeon
- I had beaten the initial desert, jungle, ice, and _______ quests with the first and second rank hero classes (mage/wizard; warrior/beserker; etc. EXCEPT the Rogue). So the first tier of "hard" quests were unlocked but not completed.
- Puzzles were pretty much incomplete
- I found the plant god, chaos god, warrior god, pious god (with the beads), vampire god, and mage god
- The only class-based quests I'd completed were with the mage. The other 11 were still unconquered.
Please let me know if that's enough information, or if there's some other forum I should post the above to in order to find a close save. I'd be forever grateful to be able to feed my addiction again!
Take care,


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UNDP food security report in Africa to be honored for excellenceAug 23, 2013
The Africa Human Development Report 2012, titled Towards a Food-Secure Future, has won the 2013 HDR Award for Excellence, which honors every three years the best and most impactful Human Development Reports.
The awards, handed to national, sub-national and regional reports have helped advocate the core principles of the human development approach, encouraged innovation in research, demonstrated the use of the HDR as an advocacy tool and shared good practices in the human development community.
Launched in May 2012, the Africa Human Development Report argues that Sub-Saharan Africa cannot sustain its present economic resurgence and human development progress unless it eliminates the hunger that affects nearly a quarter of its people.
"This award acknowledges the report's great achievement, which was to say that food security is a core development issue," said Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, the Head of UNDP Africa.
"Hence addressing it is a long-term endeavor that requires multi-sectors and integrated interventions, with the recognition that national efforts need to be complemented by more concerted international action to strengthen food security in the poorest, smallest and most vulnerable countries and regions," he added.
Arguing that action focused on agriculture alone will not end food insecurity, the report calls for new approaches covering sectors such as rural infrastructure, health services, new forms of social protection and actions to empower local communities.
Ensuring that the poor and vulnerable have greater voice through strengthened local government and civil society groups is also needed to ensure food security for all, the document argues.
The report will be recognized during the Global Human Development Forum, to be held in the United Arab Emirates in November, 2013. The event will bring together policy-makers, researchers, activists and civil society representatives around a global discussion on human development.
During the event, participants will also examine the recommendations of the 2013 Global Human Development Report, titled "The Rise of the South", looking at the possibilities for accelerated human development across the planet, the role of emerging economies in global governance, and a number of key global issues such as the impact of austerity policies on the developing world.


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|Join hundreds of InfoSec professionals at our upcoming
[Global AppSec DC, September 9-13] and [Global AppSec Amsterdam, September 23-27]
January 3, 2011
- Operational Budget status ($25k total available)
- Should remainder be moved to Sponsorship fund?
- Sponsorship Fund status
- $15k remaining
- >30 sponsorship applicants
- Board has taken responsibility of selecting applicants
- OSTF status (??)
- Summit_2011_Attendee
- Summit_2011_Attendee/Stats
- Matteo
Reg online up and running. Phase 2 is to upload existing data
Tesaruo Consulting
Each of you must commit 3-4 hours of focused, independent effort plus phone time for Board facilitated discussions of each phase. Thoughtful, contemplative, hard work is required to draft an enduring OWASP Vision.
Google invite for every Friday 12 noon EST.
Membership Committee
Approved by Committee 12/21 - spells out honorary membership details.
Conferences Committee
Passed: 2011 Plan
Includes 3 Items adressing/requiring board approval. Complete details can be found here
• Requirement for GCC Member to be present at all Global AppSec and Regional/Theme conferences
• OWASP Foundation signature authority for the GCC Membership
• A Global Conference Committee Operational Budget of $33,000 USD
Projects Committee
- ASVS Leader selection process complete. Suggestion by GPC (formal recommendation document soon). Board approval?
- GPC Passed Internal GPC Governance rules (publication soon)
Education Committee
Chapter Committee
- see last meeting minutes
Industry Committee
- Current work in progress:


text:
Serviços Personalizados
Links relacionados
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Journal of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering
versão On-line ISSN 2309-8775
versão impressa ISSN 1021-2019
J. S. Afr. Inst. Civ. Eng. vol.53 no.2 Midrand Out. 2011
Behaviour of steel tubular stub and slender columns filled with concrete using recycled aggregates
E K Mohanraj; S Kandasamy; R Malathy
This paper is based on a study that was done by utilising construction and demolition debris that had been effectively recycled, in structural members. The steel tubular columns were filled with different types of waste material, as well as recycled aggregate concrete, instead of normal conventional concrete. The results were subsequently analysed. The behaviour of circular and square concrete-filled steel tubular sections (CFSTs) under axial load, in which coarse aggregate had been partially replaced by recycled aggregates, is presented. The effects of steel tube dimensions, shapes and the confinement of concrete are also examined. Measured column strengths are compared with the values predicted by Eurocode 4, Australian Standards and American Codes. Twelve specimens were tested with 20 MPa concrete and steel sections with diameter-to-thickness ratios of 18,5, 25,3 and 36,0. The columns were of two different shapes - a circular-shaped set with diameters of 76 mm and 89 mm, and a square-shaped set with sizes 72 mm and 91 mm. The circular-shaped columns of 76 mm diameter and the square-shaped columns with 72 mm diameter are 900 mm long. The circular columns with a diameter of 89 mm and the square columns of 91 mm diameter are 350 mm long. Eurocode 4 (EC4) gives the best estimation for both conventional and recycled aggregate concrete. However, the American Concrete Institute (ACI) / Australian Standards (AS) equation predicted lower values than measured during the experiments. Hence the ACI/AS equation has been modified by introducing a multiplying factor 'k' to predict good results for columns of L/D < 12. The values of k factor for L/D ratio varying from 4 to 12 are suggested in this study. From the results it has been noted that square columns save 30% of steel when compared with circular columns. It was also observed that the ultimate load of steel tubular columns filled with recycled aggregate concrete is higher than that of conventional concrete and columns filled with recycled aggregate concrete, and can result in a 10% saving in the cost of concrete. This research therefore proposes a solution for effective solid waste management, which will also prove to be cost effective.
Key words: Composite column, recycled aggregate concrete, steel tubular sections, stub column, slender column
Steel members have the advantages of high tensile strength and ductility, while concrete members have the advantages of high compressive strength and fire resistance. Composite members combine steel and concrete, resulting in a member that has the beneficial qualities of both materials. Two types of composite columns, those with steel sections encased in concrete and those with steel sections filled with concrete, are commonly used in buildings. Concrete-encased steel composite columns have become the preferred form for many seismic resistant structures. Under severe flexural overload concrete encasement cracks, resulting in reduction of stiffness, but the steel core provides shear capacity and ductile resistance to subsequent cycles of overload (Shanmugam & Lakshmi 2001).
Concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns have been used in different and varied applications, such as bridge piers that are continuously subjected to impact from traffic, columns that support storage tanks, railway decks, columns in high-rise buildings and as piles. Because of the increased use of these types of composite columns, interest in the behaviour of these types of columns triggered many theoretical and experimental studies. CFST columns have many advantages over steel-reinforced concrete columns, such as:
The steel column acts as permanent and integral formwork.
The steel column provides external reinforcement.
The steel column supports several levels of construction prior to concrete being pumped.
Although CFST columns are suitable for tall buildings in seismic regions, their use has been limited due to a lack of information about the true strength and the in-elastic behaviour of CFST composite action. Because of the traditional difference between structural steel and reinforced concrete design, the procedure for designing CFST columns using the American Concrete Institute's (ACI) code is quite different from the load and resistance factor design (LRFD) method suggested by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).
The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of different types of infill used in CFST columns. An additional objective was to investigate the changes in behaviour if recycled aggregate is used for making the concrete. Twelve different specimens were tested for columns with pinned end conditions and the results are analysed in detail in this paper.
Circular tubular columns have a definite advantage over tubular columns with other cross sections when used in predominantly compression members. For a given crosssectional area the former have a large uniform flexural stiffness in all directions. Filling the tube with concrete will increase the ultimate strength of the member. The main effect of concrete is that it increases the local buckling resistance of the tube wall and, in the restrained state, is able to sustain higher stresses and strains than when it is unrestrained.
The use of CFSTs can potentially provide large cost savings by increasing the floor area through a reduction in the required crosssection size. This is very important in the design of tall buildings in cities where space is extremely expensive, and is particularly significant in the lower storeys of tall buildings where short columns usually exist. CFST can provide an excellent monotonic and seismic resistance in two orthogonal directions. Using multiple bays of composite CFST framing in each primary direction of a low- to mediumrise building provides seismic redundancy while taking full advantages of the two-way framing capabilities of CFSTs (Hajjar 2002).
Experimental research on CFST columns has been going on worldwide for many decades, with significant contributions having been made particularly by researchers in Australia, Europe and Asia. The vast majority of these are experimental and have been done on moderate-scale specimens (less than 200 mm in diameter) using normal and highstrength concrete.
Neogi et al (1969) investigated numerically the elasto-plastic behaviour of pin-ended CFST columns loaded either concentrically or eccentrically about one axis. It was assumed that complete interaction between steel and concrete, and the triaxial and biaxial effects present on the composite materials were not being considered. Eighteen eccentrically loaded columns were tested, in order to compare the experimental results with the numerical solutions. The conclusions were that there was a good agreement between the experimental and theoretical behaviour of columns with L/D ratios greater than 15, inferring that triaxial effects were small for such columns.
A series of tests had been carried out (O'Shea & Bridge 1996) on the behaviour of circular thin-walled steel tubes. The tubes had diameter-to-thickness ratios (D/t) ranging between 55 and 200. The tests included bare steel tubes, tubes with un-bonded concrete with only the steel section loaded, tubes with concrete infill with the steel and concrete loaded simultaneously, and tubes with the concrete infill loaded alone. The test strengths were compared to strength models in design standards and specification. The results from the tests showed that the concrete infill for the thin-walled circular steel tubes has little effect on the local buckling strength of the steel tubes. However, O'Shea & Bridge (1997) found that concrete infill can improve the local buckling strength for rectangular and square sections. They also found that increased strength due to confinement of high-strength concrete can be obtained if only the concrete is loaded and the steel is not bonded to the concrete. For steel tubes with a D/t ratio greater than 55 and filled with 110-120 MPa high-strength concrete, the steel tubes provide insignificant confinement to the concrete when both the steel and concrete are loaded simultaneously. Therefore, they considered that the strength of these sections could be estimated using Eurocode 4 with confinement ignored.
The influence of local buckling on behaviour of short circular thin-walled CFSTs has been examined (O'Shea & Bridge 1997). Two possible failure modes of the steel tube had been identified - local buckling and yield failure - and these were found to be independent of the diameter-to-wall-thickness ratio. It was, however, found that the bond between the steel and concrete infill determined the failure mode. A design method has been suggested based upon the recommendations in Eurocode 4 (1994).
Kilpatrick & Rangan (1997) and Kilpatrick & Taylor (1997) examined the applicability of the Eurocode 4 for design of CFSTs which used high-strength concrete, and compared 146 columns from six different investigations with Eurocode 4. The concrete strength of columns ranged from 23 to 103 MPa. The mean ratio of measured to predicted column strength was 1,10 with a standard deviation of 0,13. The Eurocode 4 safely predicted the failure load in 73% of the columns analysed.
Brauns (1998) stated that the effect of confinement exists at high stress level when structural steel acts in tension and concrete in compression, and that the ultimate limit state material strength was not attained for all parts simultaneously. In his study, the basis of constitutive relationships for material components, the stress state in composite columns, was determined taking into account the dependence of the modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio on the stress level in concrete.
O'Shea & Bridge (2000) tried to estimate the strength of CFSTs under different loading conditions with small eccentricities. All the specimens were short, with a length-to-diameter ratio of 3,5 and with a diameter-to-thickness ratio between 60 and 220. The internal concrete had a compressive strength of 50, 80 and 120 MPa. From those experiments O'Shea & Bridge (2000) concluded that the degree of confinement offered by a thin-walled circular steel tube to the internal concrete is dependent upon the loading condition. The greatest concrete confinement occurs for axially loaded thin-walled steel with only the concrete loaded and the steel tube used as pure circumferential restraints. Eurocode 4 has been shown to provide the best method for estimating the strength of circular CFSTs with the concrete and steel loaded simultaneously.
Mandal et al (2002) reported that the quality of recycled aggregate concrete improves considerably with the addition of fly ash. This, in turn, improves the durability of recycled aggregate concrete against sulphate and acid attack. Therefore, the results of this study provide a strong case for supporting the use of recycled aggregates instead of natural aggregates for the production of concrete.
Ramamurthy & Gumaste (1998) reported that the compressive strength of recycled aggregate concrete is relatively lower and varied depending on the strength of the original concrete from which the aggregates had been obtained. This reduction is mainly caused by the bond characteristics of recycled aggregate and the fresh mortar of the recycled concrete.
Twelve specimens of circular (designated C) and square (designated S) sections were tested for the purposes of this study. The column specimens were classified into three different groups. Each group consisted of four specimens filled with plain concrete (designated PC), partial replacement of coarse aggregates by recycled aggregate concrete (designated RAC), and the rest of the column specimens were tested as hollow sections for comparison (designated HS).
The properties of all specimens are given in Table 1. All the specimens were fabricated from circular and square hollow steel tube and filled with two types of concrete, namely plain and recycled aggregate concrete. The average values of yield strength and ultimate tensile strength fy for the steel tube were 260 and 320 MPa respectively. The modulus of elasticity Es was found to be 2,0 x 105 MPa. In the present experimental work, the parameters of the test specimens were the shape of specimen, size of specimen, strength of concrete and D/t ratio of columns. All the selected parameters were within the ranges of practical limits. In order to prevent the steel hollow column section from local buckling, ACI (1995) requires the width-to-thickness (B/t) ratio of the steel hollow section to be not greater than the limit (√(3Es/fy) . In the steel hollow column section tested, L/D = 12,5 with B/t = 36,0, and for L/D = 11,8 the B/t is 25,3. In both the cases B/t was found to be less than the prescribed limit (√(3Es/fy) = 48,04).
The concrete mix was obtained using the following dosages: 383 kg/m3 of Portland cement, 533 kg/m3 of sand, 1 185 kg/m3 of coarse aggregate with maximum size 12 mm and 192 litres of water. Construction and demolition debris was taken on the basis of weight. In order to characterise the mechanical behaviour of concrete, three cubes, three prisms and three cylindrical specimens were prepared from each concrete and tested to determine the compressive strength, flexural strength and splitting strength respectively. The mean values of the strength, obtained from these tests on concrete at an age of 28 days, are summarised in Table 2. During preparation of the test specimens, concrete was cast in layers and lightly tamped using a wooden hammer for better compaction. The specimens were cured for 28 days in a humidity-controlled room.
All the tests were carried out in an electronic universal testing machine (UTM) of capacity 1 000 kN. The columns were hinged at both ends and axial compressive load was applied. The test set-up of columns is shown in Figure 1. A pre-load of about 5 kN was applied to hold the specimen upright. Dial gauges were used to measure the lateral and longitudinal deformations of the columns. The load was applied in small increments of 20 kN. At each load increment, the deformations were recorded. All specimens were loaded up to failure.
Figure 2 shows that the failure mode of 350 mm long columns is by local buckling close to the supports, as indicated by circles in each column. Figure 3 shows the failure in the case of 900 mm length columns, with considerable lateral deflection and overall buckling nearer to the mid-height of the columns, as indicated in each column.
Figure 4 shows the load carrying capacity of square and circular column sections. From Figure 4 it can be noted that the load carrying capacity of square columns of all sizes, hollow as well as filled with plain concrete and recycled aggregate concrete, is more than that of the circular column with a comparable size. Figure 5 shows the loadlateral deflection patterns for both hollow circular (76 mm and 89 mm) and square (72 mm and 91 mm) columns. From Figure 5 it can be observed that the hollow square column performs better than the hollow circular column. Also from Table 1, it can be observed that the strength to weight ratio of a 72 mm hollow square column is about 41% more than that of a 76 mm hollow circular column, and for a 91 mm hollow square column it is about 34% more than for an 89 mm hollow circular column. Hence about 30% of steel can be saved when square columns are used to obtain the same load capacity.
Figure 6 shows the load-lateral deflection pattern of circular and square columns filled with plain concrete. From Figure 6 it can be noted that tubular columns filled with plain concrete of characteristic strength fck = 20 MPa grade (the minimum charac c teristics compressive strength of concrete cubes, i.e 20 MPa as per Indian Standards IS 456-2000) resist more load than hollow columns. Comparing Figures 5 and 6, it can be observed that the strength of hollow columns increases by about 60-112% when filling them with conventional concrete. When comparing square and circular columns, square columns resist about 3-9% more load than circular columns for similar areas. Figure 7 shows the load-lateral deflection pattern of circular and square columns filled with recycled aggregate concrete. From Figure 7 it is noted that tubular columns filled with recycled aggregate concrete resist 5-10% more load than those filled with normal concrete. When compared to hollow columns, recycled aggregate concrete-filled columns take 66-121% more load. When compared to circular recycled aggregate concrete-filled columns, square recycled aggregate concrete-filled columns resist 6-10% more load. Hence, if recycled aggregate concrete-filled square columns are adopted, a saving of about 30% in the cost of steel and a saving of up to 10% in the cost of concrete can be achieved.
Figures 8 and 9 compare the load-lateral deflection patterns for circular and square columns of hollow sections, filled with normal concrete and filled with recycled aggregate concrete. The use of recycled aggregate as a filling material in concrete increases the load-carrying capacity to a greater extent compared with that of plain concrete-filled columns, and reduces the lateral displacements. This may be due to the fact that the strength of CFST columns depends on the filled concrete strength. The filled recycled aggregate concrete has more compressive strength, as determined during testing of concrete cubes.
It is preferable to compare the test results with different code provisions so that an overall impression is obtained. EC4 (1994) is the most recently published international standard in composite construction. EC4 covers concrete-encased and partially encased steel sections and concrete-filled sections with or without reinforcement. EC4 uses limit state concepts to achieve the aims of serviceability and safety by applying partial safety factor to load and material properties. EC4 is the only code that treats the effects of long-term loading separately. The ultimate axial force of a column as per code is
|ultimate axial load of composite column
|As, Ac
|area of steel tube and concrete respectively
|yield strength of structural steel
|η1, η2
|co-efficient of confinement of concrete and steel respectively
|fcc or fck
|characteristics cube compressive strength of concrete (150x150x150 mm)
|wall thickness of steel tube
|outside dimension of column
|compressive cylinder strength of concrete (0,8 fcc)
The experimental ultimate axial loads are compared with the predicted load from EC4 as shown in Table 3. All the predicted values from EC4 are lower than that of values obtained from the test results. The best estimation of EC4 is achieved for columns filled with conventional and recycled aggregate concrete of 900 mm length. When comparing the predicted values and test results for recycled aggregate concrete-filled columns, it is found that the variation is only marginal. The maximum Ntest/NEc4 for the 900 mm test c length column is 1,04 and for the 350 mm length column it is 1,10. Based on Table 3, it is clear that EC4 can reliably predict the axial capacity of CFST columns filled with conventional and recycled aggregate concrete.
The ACI (1995) and AS (1994) use the same formula for calculating the squash load. Neither code takes into consideration the effect of concrete confinement. The limiting thickness of steel tube to prevent local buckling is based on achieving yield stress in a hollow steel tube under monotonic axial loading which is not a necessary requirement for a filled composite column. The failure load is determined by
|ultimate load at failure
|As, Ac
|area of steel tube and concrete respectively
|compressive cylinder strength of concrete (0,8 fcc)
|yield strength of structural steel
Detailed comparisons of load carrying capacity of composite columns with ACI and AS are presented in Table 4. For square columns the experimental results are 20% and 45% more than that of predicted values by ACI/AS codes for 900 mm and 350 mm long columns respectively. The variation of strength between the values from tests and that from the codes are constant for both plain and recycled aggregate concrete. From Table 4, the Ntest/NACI/AS ratio shows a value larger than unity for the 350 mm length column. In the case of 900 mm length concrete-filled circular and square columns differences of 5-8% and 20% are observed respectively in the above ratio. For 350 mm length columns, the differences are much greater. The variation is about 45% for both conventional and recycled aggregate concrete. The ACI and AS appeared to be very conservative, due to the fact that concrete confinement was ignored in the estimation of their axial load capacity.
This observation was also made by Giakoumelis & Lam (2004), hence they proposed a modified equation as NACI/AS = 1,3 Ac fcy+Asfy. Table 5 shows the comparison of test results with the modified ACI/ AS formula. All the experimental results for CFST columns are approximately 9% less than those from the modified equation for 900 mm length circular columns, and 30% higher than that of the modified equation for 350 mm length columns. The variation between the values from the tests and that from the modified equation are approximately constant for both conventional and recycled aggregate concrete. Figure 10 shows the comparison of test results with EC4, ACI/AS codes and Modified ACI/AS equation. From Figure 10 it can be seen that the test results are higher than the predicted values by the different empirical equations.
From Table 5 it can be seen that modified ACI/AS correlates well with experimental results (L/D=12,5), and hence NACI/AS = 1,3 Ac fcy + As fy is applicable for steel tubular sections filled with concrete. It is also obvious that the above equation under-estimates the strength of columns by about 27-32%, and that, when the L/D ratio reduces, the predicted strength also reduces. In EC4 code, the difference between predicted and actual strength is 3-10% only, because the confinement effect has been considered. However, in ACI/AS the difference is up to 49%, because there is no consideration for the effect of confinement or L/D ratio. Hence, this equation needs to be modified to predict the exact strength.
A detailed analysis of the experimental results was carried out in this study. The capacity of the composite columns depends on the basic compressive strength of filled concrete and the confinement effect. To account for the enhancement in strength due to the above facts a multiplication factor k is suggested for different L/D ratios and the values of k are presented in Table 6. A single multiplication factor is suggested so that it can be easily adopted.
The proposed equation for CFST column is
The capacity of the columns predicted by the above equation is compared with the existing experimental results. Figure 11 shows this comparison and it can be seen that the prediction by the proposed NACI/AS is in good agreement with the test results.
In order to verify the results of the equation, a set of three column tests was carried out. These specimens used in the verification tests had three other values of L/D ratios. A comparison of these results with the capacities predicted by Equation 3 is shown in Table 7. It can be seen that the values, although exceeding by 6% in two cases, can still be considered a good approximation, and hence the proposed equation can be used in its simple form to estimate the capacity of the CFST columns.
The aim of the study was to determine the optimum solution with reference to strength of the column, shape, size, material, L/D ratio, etc. This paper compared the failure of square, circular, long, short, filled, hollow steel columns, as well as concrete-filled columns, with conventional concrete and recycled aggregate concrete. From the experimental studies, the following conclusions were drawn:
Concrete-filled steel tubular columns can resist 60-112% more load than hollow steel tubular columns for sections with the same size and steel area.
Recycled aggregate concrete-filled columns resist 66-121% more load than hollow columns, and 6-10% more than columns filled with plain concrete.
Square columns resist 34-41% more load than circular columns for the same area of steel. Hence, size reduction for square columns is possible.
In the case of square columns, a cost saving in the region of 30% can be achieved when compared to circular columns of the same cross-sectional area.
Among the codes of practice for composite columns, EC4 provides a good prediction of the axial strength of CFST columns, with a maximum of 10% difference in the value on the axial capacity for the range of parameters tested.
Good prediction of load capacity is achieved with NEC4 as Ntest/NEC4 ratio for specimens is around unity.
In some cases the predicted axial strengths using ACI/AS are 45% lower than the results obtained from experiments.
The modified ACI/AS equation suggested by Giakoumelis & Lam (2004) gives better results for specimens S8-PC and S9-RAC only for cases when L/D = 12,5.
The enhancement of strength in the case of CFST columns depends on the compressive strength of filled concrete and on the confinement effect.
The proposed NACI/AS Equation 3 with the single multiplication factor 'k' predicts the capacity of the columns tested and is easy to use. It has, however, been shown that an over-prediction of approximately 6% can be obtained. The equation is valid when 4 < L/D > 12.
Considering that recycled aggregate concrete has a higher compressive strength, it was found that, when recycled aggregate concrete is used instead of plain concrete, a cost saving in concrete can be achieved.
Recycled aggregate, used in concretefilled square columns, results in cost savings when compared to circular columns filled with plain concrete.
Usage of recycled aggregate concrete in steel tubular columns is not only a waste utilisation technique, but also saves cost and, if designed properly, can result in size reduction of columns, thereby increasing the working space.
|outside dimension of column
|thickness of steel tube
|measured ultimate load of the column
|critical load of the column
|ultimate axial load of composite column
|ultimate squash load r radius of gyration As, Ac area of steel tube and concrete respectively
|fcc or fck
|characteristics cube compressive strength of concrete (150x150x150 mm)
|fcy or fc,
|compressive cylinder strength of concrete (0,8 fcc)
|flexural strength of concrete prism (100x100x500 mm)
|split tensile strength of cylinder (150x300 mm)
|η1, η2
|co-efficient of confinement for concrete and steel respectively
|yield strength of steel tube
The authors thank the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, and the All India Council for Technical Education, New Delhi, for the financial support provided to conduct this research. They also thank the Principal and the Management of the Kongu Engineering College for extending facilities to enable the research work.
ACI Committee 318. 1995. Building code requirements for structural concrete (ACI 318-95). Detroit: American Concrete Institute. [ Links ]
Australian Standards AS3600 & AS4100. 1994. Reinforced concrete structures & steel structures. Sydney: Standards Australia. [ Links ]
Brauns, J 1998. Analysis of stress state in concrete-filled steel column. Constructional Steel Research, 49(2): 189-196. [ Links ]
Eurocode 4 1994. DD ENV 1994-1-1. Design of composite steel and concrete structures. Part 1,1. General rules and rules for buildings (with UK National Application Document). London: British Standards Institution. [ Links ]
Giakoumelis, G & Lam, D 2004. Axial capacity of circular concrete-filled tube columns. Constructional Steel Research, 60, 1049-1068. [ Links ]
Hajjar, J F 2002. Composite steel and concrete structural systems for seismic engineering. Constructional Steel Research, 59(58): 703-723. [ Links ]
Kilpatrick, A & Rangan, B V 1997. Behaviour of high-strength composite column. Proceedings, International Conference on Composite Construction - Conventional and Innovative, Seminar on Concrete-filled Steel Tubes, Innsbruck, Austria, pp 789-794. [ Links ]
Kilpatrick, A & Taylor, T 1997. Application of Eurocode 4 design provisions to high-strength composite columns. Proceedings, International Conference on Composite Construction -Conventional and Innovative, Innsbruck, Austria, pp 561-566. [ Links ]
Mandal, S, Chakraborthy, S & Gupta, A 2002. Some studies on durability of recycled aggregate concrete. Indian Concrete Journal, 76(6): 385-388. [ Links ]
Neogi, P K, Sen, H K & Chapman, J C 1969. Concretefilled tubular steel columns under eccentric loading. Structural Engineering, 47(5): 195-197. [ Links ]
O'Shea, M & Bridge, R 1996. Circular thin-walled tubes with high-strength concrete infill. Proceedings, ASCE Conference on Composite Construction in Steel and Concrete, Irsee, Germany, pp 780-793. [ Links ]
O'Shea, M & Bridge, R 1997. The design for local buckling of concrete-filled steel tubes. Proceedings, International Conference on Composite Construction - Conventional and Innovative, Seminar on Concretefilled Steel Tubes, Innsbruck, Austria, pp 319-324. [ Links ]
O'Shea, M & Bridge, R 2000. Design of circular thinwalled concrete-filled steel tubes. ASCE Structural Engineering, 126: 1295-1303. [ Links ]
Ramamurthy, K & Gumaste, K S 1998. Properties of recycled aggregate concrete. Indian Concrete Journal, 72(1): 49-53. [ Links ]
Shanmugam, N E & Lakshmi, B 2001.State-of-theart report on steel-concrete composite columns. Constructional Steel Research, 57: 1041-1080. [ Links ]
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Faculty of Engineering, EBET Group of Institutions Kangayam
Tamil Nadu, India
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|DR E K MOHANRAJ is Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, Erode Builder Educational Trust's Group of Institutions (EBET), Kangayam, India. He has more than twelve years of teaching and industrial experience. His areas of interest a re steel-concrete composite structures, utilisation of waste materials in concrete, and earthquake resistant structures. He is a recipient of the Career Award for Young Teachers for the year 2007 from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi, and of the Best Teacher Award for the year 2008 from KEC International Limited. He is a principal investigator for four R&D projects supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), India, AICTE and the Institution of Engineers, India. He has published about 65 papers in reputed national and international journals and conferences, and has visited various universities in Thailand, China, Singapore and Malaysia to present papers.
|DR S KANDASAMY is Dean atthe Anna University Tiruchirappalli, Ariyalur Campus, Ariyalur, India. He has more than 26 years of teaching experience and 15 years in R&D. His areas of interest are cold-formed steel structures, high-performance concrete, utilisation of waste materials in concrete, and earthquake resistant structures. He has published 15 papers in international and national journals, and has presented nine and 25 papers respectively at international and national conferences. He is a Life Member of the Institution of Engineers, India, and of the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE), New Delhi.
|DRR MALATHY is Principal atthe Excel Engineering College, Komarapalayam. She has more than twenty years of teaching experience and six years of R&D experience. She is a principal investigator for four R&D projects supported by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE ), the Institution of Engineers, India, and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), India. She published about 50 papers in reputed journals and conferences at international and national levels. She received the Best Teacher Award for the year 2004 from KEC International Limited, and the Innovative Teacher Award for the year 2005 from the Chiefs Committee on Human Resources Development (CLHRD), Mangalore. In 2006 she received the Career Award for Young Teachers from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi. She visited Singapore, South Korea and the United Kingdom to present papers at international conferences.


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LOS ALAMITOS – At every City Council meeting for the past couple of years, Councilwoman Gerri Graham-Mejia has voted against accepting the official written record of the group's previous meeting.
The minutes, she said, lack transparency. There are few details as to who said what, she argued. Bad for institutional history, bad for the community, she repeated.
She wanted it changed.
Graham-Mejia said this … At. Every. Single. Meeting.
This week, the councilwoman got her wish.
Following last November's election, the council's make-up changed. So Graham-Mejia asked her colleagues to switch from "action" minutes, which contain little information other than what action is taken, to "summary" minutes, which provide more council and staff comments and what the public says in support or opposition to issues.
Brea, San Juan Capistrano and Stanton use the action minutes format, according to a staff report. Huntington Beach and Laguna Niguel rely on a detailed summary format. Some use variations. In fact, it turns out that Los Alamitos uses a combo of action and summary minutes.
The council voted, 4-1, with Councilman Troy Edgar dissenting. He argued that the meeting minutes were changed to the shorter action format to avoid conflicts with council members, who debated how they wanted their words recorded. Meanwhile, the City Clerk said she can handle the added work: six to 10 hours to summarize a five-hour meeting. In the near future, the council may also consider adopting a new system that would allow the public to view meetings online.
But for now, there will be more detailed minutes.
"Who said what, when and what they meant" matters, said Jody Shloss, one of several residents who supported Graham-Mejia. "It's important to have that history."
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Jonathan Ashworth
Jonathan Ashworth is a graduate from Edinburgh College of Art and the RCA. He has always been interested in drawing, in making careful observations of the world as well as imagined scenarios drawn from the minds eye. His imagery seeks to reflect his all encompassing passion for life; capturing the poignancy of human interaction, the beauty of the natural landscape as well as that of the city. Jonathan pays homage to the great printmakers of the past to produce deceptively simple designs that hold resonance for life in the 21st century.
'When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.'
John Muir
John Muir


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Latest media releases
UBS launches first ever emissions index
Investors will have access to the market of emissions allowances
UBS launches today the UBS World Emissions Index (UBS-WEMI) - the first index for global markets of emissions allowances. At the time of launch, this index will cover several European emissions trading platforms, all of which are part of the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Additional emissions programmes will be continually observed for potential future membership in the index. The index will be published in USD, EUR and CHF.
Climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world today: rising global temperatures bring changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. All these consequences make the climate change theory - in particular the role played by greenhouse gases in global warming - a central topic of discussion, leading to the implementation of programmes such as the Kyoto Protocol.
The Kyoto Protocol - signed in 1997 and ratified by a total of 165 countries by August 2006 - created a framework and a set of rules for a global emissions market, via the introduction of a "cap and trade" system. Under the system, which provides the backbone for Kyoto, industries who are able to reduce their emissions at a low cost have the ability to sell their unused permits (allowances/certificates) to other industries requiring them, thereby creating an emissions allowances market, and ensuring that emission reductions are achieved in a cost-effective manner.
The commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol starts in 2008. However, Europe has chosen early implementation with the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), a scheme for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction, which was implemented on 1 January, 2005. In 2008, this scheme could potentially be broadened to include all six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol.
UBS believes that the global emissions markets have gained prominence over the last couple of years and are set to grow, both in volume and scope.
The UBS-WEMI has been created as an international benchmark of tradable derivative instruments referencing emissions allowances. At the start, the index is composed as an open basket of future contracts on EU ETS carbon dioxide (CO2), weighted between two European trading platforms - the European Climate Exchange and the Nordic Power Exchange. The weights are allocated based upon the liquidity of the underlying emissions trading platforms.
The index composition and weightings of all underlying emissions trading platforms as of 2 November 2006 are as follows:
This index adds a new dimension to the world of commodity indices by creating the first ever index covering emissions globally and can serve as a suitable basis for structured financial products. Its launch means that investors will, for the very first time, have access to an investment instrument that gives them exposure to the global markets of emissions allowances as they evolve.
UBS Media Relations, Zurich
Tel. +41 44 234 85 00
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Contributing writer
Fiennes Jantz and Warren Fike, members of the Moffitt-Crandall American Legion Post, were among the World War II and Korean War veterans honored at the Oct. 18 annual meeting of the Marion County Senior Citizens Inc. board at Hillsboro. Fike's wife, Paula, and family members Dan and Linda Peterson and Dennis Fike were on hand to see him receive the honor. Members of the Sunflower Senior Citizens who attended the meeting were Tom and Dee Duggan, Leona Kleiber, Adeline Bernhardt, and Jane Vajnar.
The Duggans went to Emporia on Oct. 23 to hear a performance by the Flint Hills League Festival Choir. Their granddaughter, Kaylee Hall of Herington, is a member of the choir.
Frank and Anna Mae Stika had numerous visitors on Oct. 23. They included Irma Benda, Nikki Stenzel and Mark Gilford of Manhattan, Lori Moldenhauer, and Lisa Hanschu and Anna.
Members of the Holy Redeemer Altar Society and their husbands enjoyed a potluck supper and bingo Oct. 21 at the senior center.
Adeline Bernhardt spent Oct. 19 to 22 with Carl and Kathy Hubbard of Wellington. Clinton Hubbard of Wichita was an overnight guest Oct. 20. On Oct. 21, all went to the home of Chris and Dee Anna Stout and Gabrielle for dinner and a party to celebrate Gabrielle's 10th birthday. Others present were Donna Hubbard and Ada Baker of Wellington, Tom and Louise Stout, Bob and Charlene Holub, Andy and Alicia Stout and family of McPherson, Lance, Sara, Logan, and Nathan Oldridge of Wichita, Thelma Oldridge of Argonia, and Ron and Dorothy Oldridge of Salina.
Oct. 21 dinner guests of Paul and Edna Backhus were Bev and Tom Reid of Marion, Mike and Jennifer Jay and Cody of Hillsboro, Brad Backhus, Jason Backhus, and Alisha Barney. They celebrated Jason's birthday with a cake made by Alisha in the shape of his bulldog, Bruiser.
Shawn Clemmer and his son Seth of Salina took Mary Clemmer on Oct. 21 to Salina to watch Blayke Clemmer play softball. Others in Blayke's cheering section included Karin Clemmer and Steve and Cindy Dunning.
Dee Duggan attended a Pampered Chef party Oct. 20 at the meeting room in the Main Street complex. Sherry David and Francie Mueller were hostesses.
Ronnie and Sandi Stika of Wichita visited his brother, Frank Stika, and sister-in-law, Anna Mae, on Oct. 20.