Rammed earth significantly reduces intrinsic energy compared to concrete construction and has an environmental benefit throughout the life cycle of the building: phases of construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. Several studies have recently been carried out to study this material. However, the seismic behavior of rammed earth constructions is still an important topic that needs to be studied in more detail. Through the analysis of non-linear behavior of the rammed earth construction for different wall thicknesses according to the Moroccan earthquake regulation RPS2011, we were able to assess the seismic performance under the corresponding conditions (loads, seismic zone). The results show that the walls studied can have good resistance in areas of seismicity ranging from “very low” to “moderate” and acceptable performance in areas of high seismicity. Furthermore, fragility analysis shows that rammed construction with a wall thickness equal to 50 centimeters exhibits better seismic performance and a low probability of damage, particularly in the case of moderate, severe, and complete damage states.

The fundamental problem from the point of view of pipeline exploitation in KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. is the very high overwearing of the pipes used for the transport of tailings, as well as determining the time of trouble-free operation of pipe system components. Failures involve significant financial outlays, severe restrictions on operation and in some cases even stopping operation. For this reason, it is vital to monitor the condition of the transport systems, as well as to determine the permissible service life of the pipe sections, after which segments at risk should be replaced or turned over in order to extend their further operation. This paper focuses on the application of interval numbers to assess the durability of piping systems. The calculations were made using classical interval numbers by using code written in INTLAB libraries. The correctness of the solutions obtained was verified using the Monte Carlo method, assuming a uniform distribution of random variables.

This paper presents a comprehensive methodology for measuring and characterizing the surface topographies on machined steel parts produced by precision machining operations. The performed case studies concern a wide spectrum of topographic features of surfaces with different geometrical structures but the same values of the arithmetic mean height Sa. The tested machining operations included hard turning operations performed with CBN tools, grinding operations with Al2O3 ceramic and CBN wheels and superfinish using ceramic stones. As a result, several characteristic surface textures with the Sa roughness parameter value of about 0.2 μm were thoroughly characterized and compared regarding their potential functional capabilities. Apart from the standard 2D and 3D roughness parameters, the fractal, motif and frequency parameters were taken in the consideration.