Reinforced concrete composite slab consists of a thin prefabricated slab in which span reinforcement is located and of concrete joined with the slab, with such concrete being laid on site.

The existence of a joint of two concretes in such floors is interpreted as introducing a contact layer into a monolithic slab. In the paper parameters of two models are estimated. The first is a model of a contact layer and the second is a model of a composite slab with a single degree of freedom. The models consider that the contact has elastic properties and inelastic properties causing energy dissipation. Experimental investigations are discussed further based on which the parameters values of the contact layer model were determined.

Delamination was experienced for the slabs characterised by low contact layer stiffness after applying a maximum load. In addition, the strains of a contact layer having low stiffness are accompanied by lower energy dissipation than of a layer with high stiffness.

The smaller stiffness of composite floors, as compared to monolithic floors, occurs as a consequence of the existence of a joint. Such decrease for a composite slab is interpreted in the model with a single degree of freedom as the serial connection of stiffness of a monolithic slab and an element considering the existence of a contact layer.

The stiffness of an element considering the existence of a contact layer decreases along with a load, and the elements corresponding to the higher stiffness of the contact layer are characterised by higher energy dissipation.

The aforementioned results of the investigations confirm the assumptions of the contact layer model and a composite slab model with a single degree of freedom. The findings made represent a basis for establishing a method of evaluating the condition of a joint in composite slabs according to statistical investigations.

The scaling of turbulence characteristics such as turbulent fluctuation velocity, turbulent kinetic energy and turbulent energy dissipation rate was investigated in a mechanically agitated vessel 300 mm in inner diameter stirred by a Rushton turbine at high Reynolds numbers in the range 50 000 < Re < 100 000. The hydrodynamics and flow field was measured using 2-D TR PIV. The convective velocity formulas proposed by Antonia et al. (1980) and Van Doorn (1981) were tested. The turbulent energy dissipation rate estimated independently in both radial and axial directions using the one-dimensional approach was not found to be the same in each direction. Using the proposed correction, the values in both directions were found to be close to each other. The relation ε/(N3·D2) ∞ const. was not conclusively confirmed.

Feasibility of a model of gas bubble break-up and coalescence in an air-lift column enabling determination of bubble size distributions in a mixer with a self-aspirating impeller has been attempted in this paper. According to velocity measurements made by the PIV method with a self-aspirating impeller and Smagorinski’s model, the spatial distribution of turbulent energy dissipation rate close to the impeller was determined. This allowed to positively verify the dependence of gas bubble velocity used in the model, in relation to turbulent energy dissipation rate. Furthermore, the range of the eddy sizes capable of breaking up the gas bubbles was determined. The verified model was found to be greatly useful, but because of the simplifying assumptions some discrepancies of experimental and model results were observed.

A continuous contact layer exists between the top and bottom layer of concrete composite reinforced floors. The contact layer is characterised by linear elasticity and frictional properties. In this paper a model of single degree of freedom of composite floor is determined. The model assumes that the restoring forces and the non-conservative internal friction forces dissipating energy are produced within the contact layer. A hysteresis loop is created in the process of static loading and unloading of the model, with the energy absorption coefficient being defined on this basis. The value of the coefficient is rising along with the growing stiffness of the composite.

A critical damping ratio is a parameter describing free decaying vibration caused by non-conservative internal friction forces in the contact layer and in the bottom and top layer. The value of the ratio in the defined model is rising along with the lowering stiffness of the element representing contact layer.

The findings resulting from the theoretical analyses carried out, including the experimental tests, are the basis for the established methods of determining the concrete layer state for reinforced concrete floors. The method is based on energy dissipation in the contact layer.

The article presents the results of experimental research aimed at recognizing the impact of the design of energy dissipation devices on the formation of bed local scouring below the sluice gate. The experiments were carried out on a model of a sluice gate built in a rectangular flume with a width of 0.58 m, with the outflow of the stream from under the slider to a horizontal bed 0.80 m long. Behind the dam gate valve three different constructions of energy dissipation devices were used: flat, horizontal slab, slab equipped with baffle blocks arranged in two rows and rip-rap. The experiments assumed forming a scour hole in 480 minutes downstream the sluice, where the bed was filled with sorted sand. The depths of the scour were measured in the longitudinal profile after 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300, 360, 420 and 480 minutes. The deepest scour holes of the bed, both in terms of depth and length, occurred on the structure model with energy dissipation devices made as a flat, horizontal plate. At the same time, in this case, the hole was developing the most rapidly, and its shape and size posed the greatest threat to the stability of the structure. The use of baffle blocks arranged in two rows or a rip-rap behind the structure slide noticeably reduced the size of the scour and delayed the erosion of the bottom in time, as compared to the course of this process on a model with a flat, horizontal slab.

In this research, nonlinear analysis of composite shear walls (CSWs) with a gap between reinforced concrete wall and steel frame is investigated under cyclic loading by the use of the finite element method (FEM) software ABAQUS. For the purpose of the verification, an experimental test is modelled and comparison of its obtained result with that of the experimental test demonstrates an inconsiderable difference between them; therefore, the reasonable accuracy of the modelling is revealed. Then, effects of different parameters on the behaviour of the CSWs are examined. Gap size between reinforced concrete wall and steel frame, reinforcement percentage, steel sections of beams and columns, and existence of reinforced concrete wall are considered as parameters. It is concluded that change of the parameters affects the ultimate strength, ductility, and energy dissipation of the system. A steel shear wall (SSW) is also modelled and compared with the CSWs. Buckling of the walls is presented as well.