Investigation of hybrid steel-glass beams with adhesive silicone shear connection

in Steel Construction (2016), 9(3), 207-221

Glass is used in current construction applications mostly as a façade element, its structural role being only rarely exploited, despite its significant resistance to in-plane compression. A steel-glass ... [more ▼]

Glass is used in current construction applications mostly as a façade element, its structural role being only rarely exploited, despite its significant resistance to in-plane compression. A steel-glass composite beam was built to investigate a hybrid steel-glass assembly and its loadbearing behaviour. To fulfil this objective, the existing types of steel-glass connection were evaluated, which allowed the possibilities offered by adhesive jointing to be highlighted. The selection of the adhesive, detailed in the present article, constituted a crucial aspect. An excessively soft connection does not transfer the shear loads between the glass and steel adherends, whereas an excessively stiff connection leads to failure of the glass. A two-component structural silicone was chosen and its properties were assessed with the help of an intensive test programme. As a result of this programme, a new quasi-incompressible hyperelastic material law was developed in order to represent the silicone elastomer behaviour. Numerical simulations were conducted in parallel to large-scale four-point bending tests on the adhesively bonded steel-glass composite beams. The aims were, on the one hand, to assess the bending stiffness of the steel-glass composite beam and, on the other, to validate the numerical simulations to conduct parametric studies. [less ▲]

Häufigkeitsviktimisierung zwischen verschiedenen Bildungsgängen - Das Ergebnis unterschiedlich ausgeprägter Mediennutzung?

in Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Bildungswissenschaften (2016), 38(2), 199-220

Intensity bias oder rosy view? Zur Diskrepanz habituell und aktuell berichtetem emotionalen Erleben im Unterricht

in Empirische Pädagogik (2016), 30(1), 2742

Schulklasseneffekte. Schülerinnen und Schüler zwischen komparativen und normativen Einflüssen

Book published by Springer (2016)

Microfinance within the theoretical framework of Sustainable Development – A blessing and a curse

Bachelor/master dissertation (2016)

According to the agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations, poverty is one of the most significant issues worldwide. Microfinance has emerged in a phenomenal hype as a ... [more ▼]

According to the agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations, poverty is one of the most significant issues worldwide. Microfinance has emerged in a phenomenal hype as a panacea for alleviating poverty and empowering the disempowered. Poor people without access to financial services were offered microcredits in order to lift them out of poverty. This approach has been used for over 30 years now and this extended essay raises the question whether the practices and principles of microfinance as used today have strayed away from the original approach, thus from the framework of Sustainable Development. Consequently, the following question arises: Can an inclusive framework of Sustainable Development provide a sound justification for the practices and principles of microfinance as applied today? With growing commercialization of microfinance and hence, incorporation into the conventional financial sector, a third research question must be asked, namely whether the financial sector itself is inclusive and aligns with the framework of Sustainable Development as outlined. Within this essay, it is revealed that microfinance is on a path of divergence from its initial goals and objectives and thereby focuses more and more on economic benefits, which goes against the concept of Sustainable Development considering the interlinkage of economic, social and environmental aspects. In the same way, the financial system, which microfinance seems to align ever more closely with, features some controversies which essentially detach the financial sector from a Sustainable Development framework. This study comes to the conclusion that microfinance has emerged as an alternative approach, but has been changed by and incorporated into the neoliberal system in the same way as the financial system. Essentially, more research is needed on the effectiveness of microfinance in order to make use of it as one of many interventions to meet the global challenges of Sustainable Development. [less ▲]

Voting Rights for Non-Citizen Residents in Luxembourg: An Anthropological Study of a Political Public Debate. Masterabschlussarbeit im Fach Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie an der Universität Wien

in Hemecht : Zeitschrift für Luxemburger Geschichte = Revue d'Histoire Luxembourgeoise (2016), 3(68), 349-352

Enhanced startle responsivity 24 hours after acute stress exposure

in Behavioral Neuroscience (2016), 130(5), 521-530

Democratising renewable energy provision into the grid in Luxembourg

Dissertation and these (2016)

Renewable energy has become a cornerstone in strategies for sustainable development, as a substitute for fossil fuels and thus a pre-condition for the transition into a low-carbon era. Under the EU2020 ... [more ▼]

Renewable energy has become a cornerstone in strategies for sustainable development, as a substitute for fossil fuels and thus a pre-condition for the transition into a low-carbon era. Under the EU2020 policy framework, Luxembourg has committed to increase the share of electricity generated from renewable energy sources to 11 % by 2020. To reach this objective, a social and technological transition is needed. A potential key factor in the success of this transition would be the democratisation of the provision of energy into the Luxembourg grid. The peer group report investigates the role that energy cooperatives play in this regard. It compares two renewable energy cooperatives: EquiEnerCoop in Junglinster and TM EnerCoop in Esch-sur-Alzette, identifying strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, taking a point of departure in the concept of prosumerism (self-consumption), it makes recommendations on expanding cooperative activities to the direct selling of electricity to members to increase local value creation. Finally, the report recommends the setting-up of public incentive schemes for the installation of solar panels and prosumer units in apartment blocks. [less ▲]

Stress and Depression: a Crucial Role of the Mineralocorticoid Receptor

in Journal of Neuroendocrinology (2016), 28(8),

Oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism modulates the effects of social support on heart rate variability

in Biological Psychology (2016), 117