The change seemed great and many were worried about how interaction would continue between the architects and engineering sciences. For this reason, the President of Aalto University, Tuula Teeri, made an initiative to launch a project to discover new levels of co-operation between the schools. 

The closing seminar of the project was held in Otaniemi on 1 June 2013.

Sometimes, separation brings good things

Originally, the ARTS+ENG project was about deepening the co-operation between builders. It is already clear that the process has expanded from the department level to the school level.

‘The School of Art, Design and Architecture and the School of Engineering have in a short amount of time become a family-like team through the change’, said Dean Helena Hyvönen. During her talk, she placed an emphasis on continuing the co-operation, despite personnel changes.  Her retirement is planned for March 2014 and Dean Petri Varsta is retiring during the summer of 2013.

Many of the speakers at the seminar reflected on the time two years ago when fears of the connection breaking were prevalent. However, good things had also resulted from the separation.

For example, the change has forced the fields of science to evaluate teaching methods and learning objectives from completely new perspectives. The on-going degree reform has created a natural time to also develop teaching.

‘The shared teaching facilities in the new bachelor's degree programmes allow for meetings between people’, said President Tuula Teeri during her talk.

She compared the interaction between the sciences to how Aalto University and the industry are constantly seeking new patterns of co-operation.

The future of the process is ensured

The thoughts that were created during the project have been compiled in the final report, which was presented at the seminar by Saija Hollmén from the Department of Architecture and Chris Rose from the Rhode Island School of Design. They explained that the project also wanted to learn how interaction between architects and engineers is promoted elsewhere in the world.

Benchmark visits were made to three universities: Stanford University and Rhode Island School of Design in the United States and the University of Bath in the United Kingdom.

‘A commonality between the visited programmes was that they did not consist of the combination of separate sciences. Instead, two or more sciences were integrated into them.  A clear objective of the programmes was a learning experience across the borders of sciences’, explained Saija Hollmén.

Some of the endeavours of the ARTS+ENG project are already being implemented. An example of this was mentioned to be the bachelor’s level Synthesis studio course, which is taken by the new students of both schools; nearly 400 students. From the beginning of the 2014-2015 academic year, the course is included among the required courses of the curriculums of the bachelor’s degree programmes of the departments of architecture and design.

‘Common challenges and solving problems with colleagues already during the first year of studies open the doors for implementing shared study modules and working together later in business life’, Professor Juha Paavola emphasised.

The seminar also presented other visions and opportunities, some of which took the audience all the way across the ocean to Stanford. The final report also includes initiatives on new professorships and a master's degree programme. Based on these, the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering is currently accepting applications for the position of Professor of Structural Design.

'The collaboration between engineers and architects has reached good grounds and I believe that in the near future interesting and concrete openings will be accomplished', says Dean Petri Varsta.

The deans of the schools, Helena Hyvönen and Petri Varsta, were responsible for managing the project. Juha Paavola, Professor, Vice Dean, from the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering and Saija Hollmén, Architect, University Lecturer from the Department of Architecture were responsible for project co-ordination together with Chris Rose, who manages a doctoral programme at the Rhode Island School of Design.

ARTS+ENG_final report.pdf

Photo: Anne Kinnunen

Text: Marja Torniainen

Fridlund studies the politics and culture of modern science, technology and innovation, with a current research focus on the technologies of terrorism.

He is born in Sweden where he studied engineering physics and history of science and technology at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. He obtained his Master´s degree in Engineering Physics in 1992 and his PhD in History of Technology in 1999 at KTH. His thesis entitled: ‘The Mutual Development: The State, Big Industry and the Collaboration on Swedish Electric Power Technology’.

Since 2011 Fridlund has worked as Senior Lecturer at the Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science at University of Gothenburg and Associate Researcher at the Centre for Advanced Security Theory (CAST) at the University of Copenhagen. During 2010–2011 he worked as External Associate Professor of History in the Saxo Institute (University of Copenhagen) and before that, during 2008–2010, as Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Copenhagen. Previously he has held positions at Aarhus University, Technical University of Denmark, Imperial College London and MIT and Northwestern University in the USA.

His current research primarily concerns various aspects of the science, technology and materiality of terrorisms. An ongoing study focuses on the development of urban ‘terrormindedness’, how cities and citizens since the 19th century have used various technologies to cope with different forms of man-made terror and terrorism. A second study investigates the role appropriation of engineering expertise and industrial technologies such as dynamite, revolvers and printing technology have played in the rise of modern revolutionary terrorism during the long 19th century. In 2010 his project Spreading Terror: Technology and Materiality in the Transnational Emergence of Terrorism 1866-1898 was awarded a three-year grant from the Swedish Research Council (VR) within its research programme The Globalization of Society.

- Mats Fridlund has worked actively in international scientific communities and his research area covers many current subjects, says Dean Petri Varsta. He is also a talented and inspiring teacher / lecturer.

- I hold Fridlund's active article production for international publications and his extensive international network in high regard, Varsta continues.

Mats Fridlund is a member of the editorial board of Icon: The Journal of the International Committee for the History of Technology and The International Journal for History of Engineering & Technology. In the spring Fridlund will teach a course on the Cultural History of Technology and another on contemporary and historical perspectives on the Science, Technology and Design of Security and Terrorism.

Contact information

Mats Fridlund 
Email: mats.fridlund@aalto.fi
Tel: +358 50 365 2110

Matti Kummu has worked at Aalto University in various teaching and research positions since 1999. From 2009 onwards he has worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Water and Development Research Group.

Kummu graduated with a Master of Science (Technology) degree from the Helsinki University of Technology in 2002 and completed his Doctor of Science (Technology) degree in 2008. The title of his dissertation was ’Spatio-temporal scales of hydrological impact assessment in large river basins: the Mekong case’. During the period of 2009 - 2011, he served as a visiting researcher at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.

In his research he focuses on understanding the interactions between human activities and water resources. He works on multiple spatial scales, ranging from local to global scale. The main research projects deal with climatic and the direct human impacts on Monsoon Asia’s water resources, with a particular focus on the Mekong river basin, as well as the water scarcity issues and their impacts on food production at the global scale.

Contact details:

Matti Kummu

matti.kummu@aalto.fi

Tel. +358 50 407 5171

The photo shows the three winners of the DHC+ Student Award. Kaisa Kontu, who claimed the first prize, is in the middle.

The research titled Forecasting District Heating consumption based on customer measurements is a part of the RICES (Realignment of Industrial and Community Energy Systems) energy technology research project, which began in 2011 and which is run by Professor Risto Lahdelma.

'We wanted to investigate whether it would be possible, with the help of hourly measurements of district heat consumption, to develop more accurate forecasting models for consumption and thus make the production of district heat more efficient', explains Kaisa Kontu, the main author of the report, who is preparing her thesis. 'In the district heating area, collecting user data is something new. There are not many articles to refer to', she continues.

Traditionally, district heating customers have given the energy company their yearly consumption data, which has been used for invoicing, for example. To make energy production more efficient, the smart grid model familiar to us from electric grids has been under development also for the area of district heating, and hourly consumption meters are becoming more common.

'From our partner Helsingin Energia we received samples of hourly consumption data for high-rise buildings of various age. Our goal was to develop a forecasting model based on outside temperature by combining the weekly rate of heat consumption with the model', tells Kaisa Kontu.

'Now only usage data on high-rise buildings was available. More hourly data should be available to enable forecasts for different types of dwellings', Kontu continues.

'In future, it would be interesting to investigate district heat consumption for a larger area and for a particular building type. We have received consumption data for office premises of properties in the area of Otaniemi, and the analysis of these has just commenced', Kontu explains.

District heating companies are interested in the optimization of production, and in future it will be possible to use consumption data also in planning pricing.

Further information:

Kaisa Kontu
Researcher 

Kaisa.kontu@aalto.fi, puh. +358 50 3792 809
Aalto University School of Engineering
Department of Energy Technology

DHC+ District Heating and Cooling plus (DHC+) Technology Platform
www.dhcplus.eu

The University of Helsinki contributes microbiological research and analytics to the project as its special strengths. Aalto University, on the other hand, has expertise in building physics and the modelling of various phenomena.

- This cooperation will give us better opportunities of homing in on the causes of mould problems in buildings. Our aim is to combine the building physical and microbiological research  and analysis methods to find a new consept to solve the mould problems, says Martti Viljanen, Professor of Building Physics at Aalto University.

Viljanen presented the cooperation opportunities offered by mould research cooperation at a mini seminar held in late April with the title ‘A new building technology concept for solving mould problems’.

According to Viljanen, the results produced by recent research indicate that guidelines, regulations and dimensioning applicable in the construction sector need to be updated. For example, mould development in materials cannot be adequately predicted based on humidity conditions alone, as was previously believed.

Microbes produce nano dust

Research Director Mirja Salkinoja-Salonen from the University of Helsinki noted that in nature, there is a balance between microbes that are vital for us and those that have negative effects on human health. The ‘goodies’ keep the ‘baddies’ in check. Indoors, this type of control does not necessarily work.

Microbes grow on all indoor surfaces, in particular where humidity is present. As microbes die or dry up, they form nano-scale dust that may find its way all the way down to the alveoli. If the microbe growth is toxic, the nano dust formed by it will also be toxic.

The drier and more turbulent the indoor air is, the more nano dust is produced.  The Finnish conditions are naturally favourable to the formation of nano dust, as the annual rainfall here is small compared to many other European countries. In buildings with mechanical ventilation, relative humidity usually remains under 50 or even 30 per cent. Salkinoja-Salonen thus coined the term ‘drought damage’. 

Hazards of disinfection

Microbes need water to live, but some species have no problem tolerating extensive dry periods. Some of the new building materials carry water efficiently, for example through capillary action, while others store water. At worst, the material may contain organic materials that feed the microbial growth.

Toxin-producing microbes may cause problems indoors, but according to Salkinoja-Salonen, flats where an attempt has been made to counter the mould problem by disinfection give even more cause for concern.

Salkinoja-Salonen disapproves of disinfection methods; she considers them dangerous and would like to see them banned outright. The biocides used in disinfection may kill all species that compete with toxic microbes, which gives the toxic ones free run. What is more, biocides themselves are allergenic and toxic for the respiratory tracts, eyes, skin and pulmonary cells.

Such biocides as PHMG and PHMB have been used to repair mould damage in Finnish buildings. A ban on PHMG entered into force in February. The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency Tukes recommends that disinfectants containing PHMB as their active ingredient should not be used indoors, either.

Harmful microbes are widespread

Microbes in buildings can be traced by analysing indoor air. The trouble is that the compounds evaporating from microbes are partly the same as those evaporating from materials.

Raimo Mikkola, Postdoctoral Researcher from Aalto University, says that harmful microbes are rather widespread. Toxin-producing microbes with spores have been isolated at many sites, including offices, homes, schools and day-care centres.

Some of the microbe species produce toxins that are harmful even in very small consistencies. They can form ion channels or ion carriers, which disrupt the normal functioning of the system, prevent the mitochondrial electron transport chain from functioning or affect cell walls.

- Toxic microbes can be found in environments where humans display symptoms. So far, however, it has not been possible to prove what role the toxins have in such symptoms, Mikkola says.

Harmful microbial toxins are difficult to eliminate, as they usually are highly tolerant of heating and enzymes. Hydrophobic toxins are difficult to remove from such surfaces as plastics.

Maria Andersson, Postdoctoral Researcher from the University of Helsinki, presented the results of a study where over twenty buildings were searched for toxin-producing moulds. In addition to known microbe species, species that produce previously unknown toxins were detected. Damp plasterboard has proven a productive growth medium for microbes.

Photo: A mold sample taken from a building growing on a malt agar petri dish. © Department of Civil and Structural Engineering 2013.

Text: Timo Hämäläinen

Finnish climate conditions are hard on concrete facades. In particular, changes in humidity and temperature fluctuations on both sides of zero degrees cause stress problems. Furthermore, the carbonation of concrete causes corrosion in the reinforcement, which in turn leads to cracking and scaling in the concrete. As the material ages and scales, the safety of the structures decreases.

- The damage often develops inside the structures over a long period of time, thus making it difficult to detect and react to. This is why it’s important to be able to monitor the condition of the structures and especially the relative humidity in a routine manner throughout the lifespan of the structure, says Al-Neshawy.

The monitoring and prediction system (RHT-MAPS) system developed by Al-Neshawy assists in specifying when it’s time to repair a concrete structure. The costs of the method are small in comparison to the construction and maintenance costs for a façade. Performing repairs at the right time saves money and materials.

The RHT-MAPS system is made up of several humidity and temperature sensors which provide measurement data that is then analysed using a computer program.

Measurements performed in apartment buildings

The system developed in the dissertation is used at two apartment buildings in Helsinki and Espoo. The systems were installed in 2004 in conjunction with repairs to the building facades. The measurements are still in progress.

Each measurement system has 44 sensors, which were installed in locations that are sensitive in terms of physical construction. The sensors are connected to nodes from which the measurement data is sent along a cable to the computer. This so-called single cable technology is significantly easier to implement than multi-cable technology.

Al-Neshawy created the monitoring and prediction model on the basis of literature, field and laboratory research. The system was validated in a laboratory.

In order to develop the method into a practical tool, Al-Neshawy says that automation should be added. Data transmission of the measurement results should be made wireless and the system should process the measurement results into something more than just numbers. The system should be integrated into the home automation.

Revealing mould problems?

The method could also be used to detect mould problems. In this case, carbon dioxide sensors should be added to the system in order to obtain information on possible mould growth.

- However, it would be difficult to interpret the measurement results in concrete structures, because the carbonation of concrete consumes carbon dioxide. As sensor technology develops, the problems associated with interpreting these types of measurement results will decrease, says Al Nashawy.

In addition to concrete building facades, the method can be applied to other structures and construction materials, such as bridges, tunnels and road structures.

Licentiate of Science (Technology) Fahim Al- Nashawy will presented his dissertation at Aalto University School of Engineering, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering at 12 noon on Friday 7 June 2013. 

The title of the dissertation is: Computerised prediction of the deterioration of concrete building facades caused by moisture and changes in temperature. In Finnish: Kosteudesta ja lämpötilasta aiheutuvan julkisivun rappeutumisen tietokoneohjattu ennakointi.

After the dissertation, the doctoral thesis will be published online at: http://otalib.aalto.fi/en/collections/e-publications/dissertations/

Contact information for the doctoral candidate:

Fahim Al-Neshawy

Tel. +358 (0)50 564 9372

fahim.al-neshawy@aalto.fi

Scientists and engineers from national and international organizations, industries and research institutes come to Espoo to discuss and exchange ideas on topics such as ice mechanics, ships and structures in ice, ice classification rules and remote sensing.

−Although digital information exchange has developed greatly, face-to-face meetings are still important for the scientific community. Conferences also help young researchers to become part of the research community, professor and head of the local organizing committee Jukka Tuhkuri from the Department of Applied Mechanics in Aalto University says.

Professor Tuhkuri has participated in most POAC conferences since 1987 when he gave a speech about the results of his Master’s thesis in one of the sessions.

−As a 26-year-old I was excited to actually meet the people that I had referred to in my thesis, he says.

Jukka Tuhkuri was in the organizing committee also in POAC in 1999, the last time POAC was in Finland. POAC has been in Finland three times. The first one was in 1983. The first ever POAC took place in 1971 in Trondheim, Norway. It has since been organized every two years.

240 participants, 16 countries

The organizers of POAC’13 have the pleasure of welcoming 240 participants from 16 countries. The countries are Canada, China, Estonia, France, Germany, Japan, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Finland.

The numbers show that interest in arctic engineering is growing. POAC has, according to www.poac.com, traditionally had over 150 participants. Two years ago, 180 people came to Montreal. Now, as mentioned, 240 participants are coming to Espoo.

−Ice-related research and arctic marine technology are hot topics. There is a reason for that: climate change. The ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting and there are many political, technical and scientific interests involved. Scientists are keen to know what is actually happening in the north, Professor Tuhkuri says.

POAC’13, June 10-13, 2013, Espoo, Finland http://www.poac13.com 

Right after POAC13, in June 13-14,2013, the SAFEWIN project will host the final seminar in Espoo. SAFEWIN is a four-year EU funded project on safety of winter navigation in dynamic ice that is ending in August, 2013. See www.safewin.org for more information.

Text: Minna Pihlava

The Mechatronics Circus is organised once every spring, and it presents projects that the students have designed and built during a course that lasts the whole academic year.

The upper secondary school students were led by skilful guides from the Guild of Mechanical Engineering.

This year the Circus presented, among others, the following projects: concrete or drug printer, automation in mass stabilation, air bearing, direct digital shape, a headbox for studying high consistancy pulp, and field robot.

Students and teachers from four different upper secondary schools visited the event. The visitors came from Helsinki, Espoo and Hämeenlinna. Before exploring the Circus, a briefing event about applying to Aalto University was held in ADD LAB.

In "Mechatronics Playground", Aalto students had a chance to try out the machines.  

Photos: Mikko Raskinen

ISWA Beacon – The 2nd International Conference on Final Sinks will be held at Dipoli Congress Centre.

Professor Juha Kaila from Aalto University calls the conference a unique event. It is more than 20 years since the last comparable international waste industry conference was held in Finland.

Landfills are only a temporary solution

The name of the conference includes the term ‘final sinks’. In simple terms, this refers to the safe final disposal of harmful substances. However, according to Kaila, the concept hasn’t been properly defined yet.

‘Final sinks are a key element in building a recycling society. Undesirable substances have to be removed from the material cycle, and we have to find a safe final disposal site for them,’ states Kaila.

For example, landfills do not meet the criteria for safe final sinks. Even if organic substances could be made safe by means of landfill aftercare, heavy metals still seep into the surrounding ground over time.

Recycling becomes more difficult

So far, very little attention has been paid to the safe final disposal of harmful substances. The production of energy and products mostly utilises virgin raw materials, and harmful substances have entered the environment. It was assumed that the problems caused by harmful substances can be handled by means of the emissions limits specified in environmental legislation.

However, history contains some cautionary examples concerning what deficient control of various substances and insufficient knowledge of their impacts and absorption in the environment can lead to. Such examples include DDT, PCB and the CFC compounds used in refrigeration devices. Final sink researchers are trying to prevent the occurrence of similar problems in a recycling society.

They are facing plenty of challenges. For example, mobile phones contain nearly all of the chemical elements. These include harmful substances and compounds that, according to Kaila, are extremely difficult to safely extract.

‘The more complicated the devices and materials become, the more difficult it is to extract harmful components and recycle materials,’ says Kaila.

The conference is being organised by Aalto University in co-operation with Vienna University of Technology (TU Vienna), National Taiwan University (NTU) and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA).

Professori Juha Kaila, juha.kaila@aalto.fi
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Aalto University School of Engineering

Text: Timo Hämäläinen

The tool is called ADAM and it is being developed in an EU project called DIAMOND. Researchers from Finland, Spain and Sweden work together with small and medium size enterprises in developing the tool. DIAMOND is an abbreviation for AdvanceD data management and InformAtics for the optimuM operatiON anD control of WWTPs

With the help of ADAM tool, researchers expect to improve the quality of the effluent, stability of the process and, at the same time, save energy.

−Main goal is to improve the global operation of wastewater treatment by making the best use of the available information in the plant, says research scientist Michela Mulas from Aalto University School of Engineering.

Waste water can be treated more efficiently

Researchers expect that waste water treatment plants can be run more efficiently because new and more reliable real-time information is available in the plants.

Until recently, waste water treatment plants were not largely equipped with monitoring instruments. Developing the ADAM tool has now become possible because the monitoring technology has advanced.

−Now the technology is ready and easily available for most of the plants, Michela Mulas says.

Waste water treatment plants contain monitoring equipment that produces large volumes of data. Among thousands of parameters monitored online are for example temperature, ammonia level and oxygen level.

The challenge for the operators of the plants is how to use the large amount of data optimally in decision making. The raw sensor data may contain errors that make the interpretation even more difficult.

This is where the ADAM tool comes in. It collects the scattered data in one database, validates it by eliminating errors and builds new information by calculating estimated values of parameters that are not measured directly.

After the ADAM tool and its algorithms have processed the data, the information can be used in the control system of the waste water treatment plant. For example, adequately dosing the dissolved oxygen concentration will considerably reduce the aeration energy costs. If the oxygen level is too low, the system could automatically accelerate the aeration process. If the oxygen level rises beyond optimum level, the aerators could be turned down automatically, thus avoiding needless use of energy. It is planned that ADAM will collect a new set of information every 15-30 minutes.

There are parameters such as biological oxygen demand that can only be measured in a laboratory and not online. This information can be fed to the system although it does not immediately affect the operation.

Full scale trials start after summer

Full scale trials with the first versions of ADAM will start in autumn 2013 in three waste water treatment plants. The plants are Kymen Vesi Oy Mussalo waste water treatment plant in Finland, Bromma waste water treatment plant in Sweden and Mekolalde waste water treatment plant in Spain.

DIAMOND is a ‘Research for SMEs’ EU project. It means that small and medium size enterprises can subcontract research institutes or universities to do research and development with the help of EU funding. The budget is about 1,1 million euros. It is a two-year project that started in September 2012.

DIAMOND has nine partners from three EU countries. Among them, there are five small and medium size enterprises (Mipro Oy, Finland, Mondragón Sistemas de Información, Soc. Coop., Spain, Project Coordinator; Aguas de Gipuzkoa S.A., Spain; Cerlic Controls AB, Sweden and Stockholm Vatten AB, Sweden), two research institutions (Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones Técnicas (CEIT), Spain and IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet AB, Sweden) and two universities (Aalto University, Finland and Uppsala University, Sweden).

Further information is available at www.diamond-eu.org.

Text: Minna Pihlava

Jani Paavilainen, M.Sc. (Tech.) approached the problem by developing a computational method for the calculation of loads created by ice rubbling. Using a 2D FE-DE method, he studied the subject in his dissertation research in the field of material strength at the Aalto University School of Engineering. The topic of his dissertation was Factors affecting ice loads during the rubbling process using a 2D FE-DE approach (in Finnish: Jääkuormiin vaikuttavat tekijät jään kasautumisprosessin aikana 2D FE-DE -menetelmää käyttäen).

The computational method developed by Paavilainen can be utilized in design work and safe use of offshore structures, for example.

Ice load is a sum of many factors

Ice rubble consists of pieces of ice, formed as moving ice is fracturing against structures. Ice movement is caused by the effects of wind and sea currents. A structure is exposed to ice load both when ice is fracturing against a structure and as moving ice cover is pressing ice rubble against it.

Factors affecting the load caused by ice include ice thickness, ice strength, friction between the pieces of ice, friction between ice and a structure, as well as the angle of inclination. The angle of inclination refers to the angle in which the structure is emerging from the ice surface. For example, the angle of inclination of a vertical wall is 90 degrees.

An important observation was that ice load is influenced by a combination of factors. An increase or decrease in one of the factors does not necessarily have a linear effect of increasing or reducing ice load. According to Paavilainen, the most significant single factor influencing ice load is the thickness of the ice.

Paavilainen examined combined effects individually, using two groups of factors. One such group consisted of ice thickness, angle of inclination and the tensile strength of the ice. The second one was ice thickness, friction between pieces of ice and fracture strength of the ice.

Force chains are created between pieces of ice

Paavilainen’s computational method takes into account the fact that ice rubble consists of smaller pieces. By using the computational method, Paavilainen found force chains between the pieces of rubble. Pressure distributions applied to structures by force chains were similar to those measured at sea and in laboratory environments.

The computational method showed, among other things, that ice load quickly diminishes if buckling occurs in the force chain. This happens, for example, if the pieces move exactly as required in relation to one another.  In principle, the model could also be used to help in the calculation of ice loads that ships traveling in icy waters are exposed to. 

 Text: Minna Pihlava

Text: Minna Pihlava

Under Finnish legislation, closed landfills for municipal waste need to be cared for until no hazardous emissions can enter the environmentadverse environmental impacts from them. 

- Thirty years is usually too short a timenot enough for the aftercare of landfills. At large big landfills aftercare can take more than 200 years, and at medium-sized landfills it is 75 over 100 years, Wang says.  

The study puts forward an optimised processing method of leachate that could significantly shorten the time required for aftercare, while reducing its costs. The aftercare of a large big landfill can be cut down to about 75 years, and that of a medium-sized landfill can be reduced to 25 years. 

In the study a biological pre-treatment process was used for the removal of nitrogen from the leachate. After the pre-treatment the leachate was led back to the landfill.  This is suggested as an optimised option of leachate management comparing with channelling to Dirty leachate is traditionally not recycled - it is led to a sewage treatment plant.

Saving on costs

In his dissertation Wang created a forecast model with which those responsible for the aftercare of a landfill can determine evaluate the needed duration of the aftercare. They can also use it to test how different strategies affect the length of the aftercare period, and the costs that arise from it. Usually the costs are higher the longer the aftercare period is. 

- With optimised aftercare, in which part of leachate is recycled and nitrogen is removed reduced with biological pre-treatment, it is possible to save 30-40 per cent in costs compared with traditional methods of aftercare, Wang says.

Wang conducted his studies in a laboratory using a landfill simulator. The simulator is a large container that is filled with waste taken from real landfills. In the simulator it is possible to vary conditions, recirculate leachate and measure the gas and leachate emissions resulting from the waste decomposition process.

The findings are significant for those responsible for the aftercare of landfills. With the help of the forecast model those who handle the aftercare can assess their possibilities for shortening the aftercare period and make cost estimates. The method can be applied extensively to various landfills that handle municipal waste.

The dissertation can be found online: http://otalib.aalto.fi/en/collections/e-publications/dissertations/

Yu Wang, M.Sc. (Tech.), defended his dissertation on 3 May 2013 at 12 noon at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Aalto University School of Engineering on the topic Leachate management in the aftercare period of municipal waste landfills. The dissertation is in the field of waste management technology. Place: Rakentajanaukio 4 A, Room R1

For more information, please contact:

Yu Wang, yu.wang@aalto.fi, tel. 040 829 7656
Aalto University School of Engineering
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

– By utilising modern manufacturing technology and new materials, it is possible to achieve more efficient structures than the ones that currently exist. In addition, better physical models are needed to ensure structural strength, Remes says.

At present the fatigue measurements used by classification societies are based on the average quality of the weld. The same design guideline is used both with traditional and more advanced structures. However, through the development of manufacturing technology, it is possible to achieve characteristics for welded joints that are significantly better than average. With the models that have been developed, it is possible to consider the difference between traditional and advanced structural joints and the impact on fatigue resistance.

The study has been published in the International Journal of Fatigue. The findings of the study can be used extensively in establishing models for fatigue endurance of various developed welded steel structures. The goal is to predict fatigue endurance more accurately and to utilise material in the final product more efficiently.

The work is linked with a project of the Academy of Finland on fatigue in thin sandwich panel structures and with the BESST EU project to promote the competitiveness of the European shipbuilding industry. Also under preparation are national development projects within the Finnish Metals and Engineering Competence Cluster (FIMECC). The work also supports the national maritime industry research strategy commissioned by the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries.

The research has received funding from the Academy of Finland, Tekes, STX Europe, and the Finnish Maritime Foundation, Light project – Finnish Metals and engineering Competence Centre

Further information:
Heikki Remes, D.Sc. (Tech.), Senior University Lecturer
Aalto University, Department of Applied Mechanics
P.O. Box 15300, 00076 Aalto
Tel:  +358 407025268
Email: heikki.remes(at)aalto.fi

The cafe has the same objective as the laboratory: to bring people together. While ADDLAB provides a meeting place for people interested in digital product development and manufacturing technology, ADD CAFE welcomes anyone who happens to be in the neighbourhood. Random encounters can result in success stories.

ADD CAFE represents a new type of learning environment thinking and it is part of the Aalto University Library Learning Hub network. The spaces belonging to the network are adaptable and easy to approach, and they provide you with the opportunity to use the campus in an entirely new way.

Good ideas are often born over a cup of coffee

Cafes and studying have gone hand in hand for ages so it is justified to ask the founders of ADD CAFE what makes it so special.

Kivi Sotamaa, the director of ADDLAB, says that the team decided that there was no room for compromises during the design phase: the cafe should be made as good as possible. For this reason, the interior of the cafe has been invested in and the coffee drinks served are made using an Italian espresso machine, a masterpiece of engineering in itself.

The coffee beans, the most essential raw material of the cafe, are sourced through a carefully selected partner company. Hannes Kallioinen and Heikki Sjöman, the ‘fathers’ of the cafe, say that they spent days performing background work and trying to find the best coffee in town by visiting cafes in the Helsinki metropolitan area in the summer of 2012.

The heart of ADD CAFE is nevertheless formed by the people who pop in, either to enjoy a moment of refreshment or attend an event. Naturally, the role played by staff should not be forgotten either.

According to Hannes Kallioinen, the Aalto University Student Union is responsible for running the cafe and a group of approximately ten students mainly from the School of Engineering will work as part-time baristas during the term.

People and ideas need meeting places

The long opening hours of ADD CAFE will probably please a lot of people, but the challenging part may prove to be finding the place: the cafe is located in the remotest corner of a yard surrounded by buildings in the K block of Puumiehenkuja. Although the location may seem difficult to find, it has been strategically selected.

 ‘ADDLAB is a design-driven laboratory for applied research, and its credibility is largely based on the know-how in fields such as materials research and mechatronics that is available in the immediate vicinity of the laboratory,’ says Kivi Sotamaa. The fact that the Department of Engineering Design and Production is nearby is extremely important to the operation of ADDLAB.

The activities organised at the laboratory constantly take on new dimensions. Recent events include Build It, a 3D-printing hackathon organised in collaboration with Aalto Entrepreneurship Society, and the ADD METAPHYSICS publication series was also freshly introduced.

Heikki Sjöman sums up the idea of ADDLAB, its cafe and the Learning Hubs by saying that a change in our culture and way of thinking requires people and meeting places and platforms.

The terrace of the cafe will open once the temperatures rise after the First of May and the cheerful buzz of conversation from the terrace will no doubt attract people to visit the ADD CAFE and enjoy its delicacies.

ADD CAFE is open until June Mon–Fri at 8 am – 6 pm. On Monday 29 April ADD CAFE arranges a Pre First of May event.

Text: Marja Torniainen
Photos: Adolfo Vera and ADD CAFE 

ADD CAFE in Facebook 

How to find ADD CAFE?

ADD METAPHYSICS

The move will see a service break for all Aalto University external websites such as eng.aalto.fi/en/. The information on these websites will not be visible, and the actual content will be replaced by a temporary error message. We apologise for any inconvenience experienced by users.

During the service break, contact information for university personnel will be available at the Aalto People -site (people.aalto.fi). The schools' Facebook pages and the university's social media channels will not be affected by the service break.

Further information:

Project Manager Hannu-Pekka Poikonen, IT Services, tel. +358 50 310 4808
hannu-pekka.poikonen(at)aalto.fi

Doctoral students Mikko Suominen from the School of Engineering and Jakke Kulovesi from the School of Electrical Engineering were invited to be part of an annual voyage organised by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs.  Antarctic research and service vessel S. A. Agulhas II transports scientists to the South African research base and back. The representatives of Aalto University joined some 60 other scientists on the expedition, including meteorologists, marine scientists and geologists.

Researchers collecting data.

Measurements of the ice and the vessel

Mikko Suominen’s research themes were associated with the ice loads to which the vessel hull is subjected and the study of ice conditions. In particular, he was hoping to gather more information about the impacts of various ice conditions on ice loads.

In practice, he collected research data using sensors installed on the vessel, by visual observation of the ice field and by measuring ice strengths.

The sensors placed on the vessel collected data on the loads that ice-breaking placed on the hull and the loads to which ice blocks subjected the propeller shaft. Visual observations focused on ice thickness and the extent of sea surface that was covered by ice.

Ice strength was measured from ice blocks that Suominen, with the assistance of three other persons, collected from around the vessel. The foursome was lowered by a crane onto the ice, and a chain saw was used to cut off the blocks. The blocks were hoisted onto the vessel, where their flexural and compressive strength was measured using instruments that had been shipped to the vessel from Finland before departure.

Researchers from Aalto University have previously collected similar data in the Baltic Sea and in laboratory conditions. The data collected on the expedition to the Antarctic will now allow Suominen to compare the ice loads caused by multiannual ice, first-year ice and ice formed in the laboratory in strictly controlled conditions.

Collecting the samples.

Ice thickness measured by a stereo camera

Jakke Kulovesi’s research is related to measuring ice thickness and developing machine vision algorithms for the automation of such measurements. For the purposes of his research, stereo camera equipment was installed on the side of the vessel on a metre-long rod to film the ice under the vessel as it progressed. The edge of the ice turned up as the vessel ploughed into it, making it possible to use images from calibrated stereo cameras and machine vision techniques to measure its thickness.

According to Kulovesi’s estimates, the ice thickness varied from 60 centimetres to at least four metres.

’In the thickest areas, the entire edge of the ice cannot be seen, which makes its real thickness difficult to estimate,’ he says.

The goal of Kulovesi’s research is to develop an automatic method for measuring ice thickness based on imaging methods.

The thickness data collected will also be used in Suominen’s research. For example, he intends to compare the thickness data to the ice load data measured on the vessel at the same time.

Stereo cameras on the side of the vessel.

Antarctica was bathed in light

Aalto University’s contacts with the South African Department of Environmental Affairs go back to the building of S.A. Agulhas II in Finland. STX Finland Rauma Shipyard handed over the 135-metre vessel to the South African Department of Environmental Affairs in April 2012.

The vessel headed out to the Antarctic from Cape Town. The voyage to the continent took a week and a half. The vessel sailed between various research bases and also visited South Georgia Island and the South Sandwich Islands before its return voyage. The southernmost point of the voyage lay beyond the 70th parallel south. While the vessel was stuck in the ice for a day or two at times, it returned to Cape Town as scheduled in late February, the delays caused by the ice having been anticipated. During the voyage, Antarctica was bathed in light, as it was mid-summer over there. Conditions inside the vessel were less than glamorous. The Internet connections were intermittent, and the travellers sometimes went for weeks without access to their e-mails. The times set aside for meals were short and the rations sometimes small.

Funding for the expedition was arranged through the Tekes project NB1369 PSRV full scale ice trials, in which Aalto University was partnered with Aker Arctic Technology, the University of Oulu, Rolls-Royce, Wärtsilä and STX Finland from Finland, DNV from Norway, and the University of Stellenbosch and the South African Department of Environmental Affairs from South Africa.

The next step will be analysing the extensive body of measurement data. In time, the results will be part of Suominen and Kulovesi’s doctoral dissertations.

The blocks being hoisted onto the vessel for measuring. 

Further information:

Mikko Suominen
mikko.suominen@aalto.fi

Jakke Kulovesi
Jakke.Kulovesi@aalto.fi

Text: Minna Pihlava
Photos: Jakke Kulovesi

Marine structural engineers need information about the characteristics of sea ice ridge keels and the resulting loads for designing ships and structures for Arctic regions. The goal is to build safe and sustainable structures without wasting materials.

Sea ice ridges, and their keels below the surface, form when ice packs collide with one another. The material properties of a keel are often measured using a method in which a plate-like indentor is pressed against rubble material: the force applied by the rubble on the indentor is then measured. Polojärvi has explored this method using model tests and simulations.

- In the laboratory you can obtain more detailed information about the behaviour of the rubble material and the keel loads than in studies conducted at sea. However, the results are somewhat different from each other. Now we are aiming to explain these differences through modelling experiments in the laboratory and numerically, says Polojärvi.

Plastic ice rubble

Polojärvi conducted experiments in the laboratory with a rubble material which consisted of plastic blocks. For simulation purposes in the experiments Polojärvi further developed two calculation methods for use in ice mechanics applications: a three dimensional discrete element method and a two dimensional combined finite discrete element method. In both of these modelling techniques the ice blocks were modelled individually.

The numerical performance of the developed model was verified by comparing the experimental results and the simulation results.

- The force-displacement curves were very close to each other in comparison. Laboratory tests also monitored the deformation of the keel, which corresponded well to the simulation results obtained, says Polojärvi.

In the dissertation, situations were also modelled in which the ice pieces were frozen together. From the results a close relation was found between the maximum load and the geometry of the ridge's first failure pattern.

The discontinuous modelling methods developed complement continuum modelling, which has been traditionally used for studying the properties of the rubble material. Continuum modelling does not take into account the individual rubble blocks.

Arttu Polojärvi, M.Sc. (Tech.), defended his thesis at the Aalto University School of Engineering, Department of Applied Mechanics, on Friday 12 April at 12:00.

The name of the dissertation in English is: Sea ice ridge keel punch through experiments: model experiments and numerical modelling with discrete and combined finite-discrete element methods.

Opponents: Professor Knut Høyland, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway and Professor, Frédéric Victor Donzé, Joseph Fourier University, France

Moderator: Professor Jukka Tuhkuri, Aalto University School of Engineering, Department of Applied Mechanics

Contact information:

Arttu Polojärvi
Tel. +358 50 430 1682
arttu.polojarvi@aalto.fi

Researchers from Aalto University and the Hamburg University of Technology presented research findings from a study on cruise ship superstructures at the MARSTRUCT Conference held between 25 and 27 March 2013.

Currently ship superstructures are made from steel plates which are a minimum of five millimetres thick. The aim is to develop structures with three millimetre steel plates.

- If superstructures were made from steel plates that are two millimetres thinner than the current plates, the weight of the superstructures would be cut by 15–20 percent. This would lower the ship’s centre of gravity, thus making the ship more stable, says Senior University Lecturer Heikki Remes from Aalto University.

With lighter superstructures more cabins with a balcony or an additional deck of passenger cabins could be added to ship designs.

Further studies starting

Light ship superstructures can be made from thin plates by welding them together with laser-hybrid welding. The method combines laser and arc welding.

Large European shipyards are already using laser-hybrid weldingin shipbuilding. However, further research is needed before shipyards are able to build cruise ship superstructures from thin plates.

- We know which factors affect the fatigue resistance of thin metal plate joints and what is demanded of them. We still have to study how these joints behave in ship superstructures, says Remes.

After research makes it possible to conduct strength analysis of the structures, a classification society must approve the structures and their production lines.

According to Remes, the thin plate structures studied can, going forward, be used in all large welded structures such as bridges.

The study is part of the Large Scaled Integrating Project BESST (Breakthrough in European Ship and Shipbuilding Technologies) funded by the EU. The project aims to achieve a breakthrough in the competitiveness of European shipbuilders and the environmental friendliness and safety of European ships.The study is also funded by the largest European shipbuilders and GL classification society.

Further information:

Heikki Remes
Senior University Lecturer
Tel. +358 40 702 5268
heikki.remes@aalto.fi
Aalto University, Department of Applied Mechanics

A total of 80 experts in ship structures from all over the world will come together at the conference, to be held between 25 and 27 March 2013. What is essentially a conference-based collaboration today began halfway through the 2000s as a cooperation network between European businesses, research institutes and universities.

The subjects of the presentations include wave and ice loads on marine structures and strength assessment.

- Defining the structural stress caused by forces of nature and events such as slamming is a difficult task. In reality, all we can do is evaluate how often structures are subjected to stresses that exceed their resistance in a given period of time, says Jani Romanoff, Professor of Advanced Marine Structures at Aalto University.

New materials and fabrication processes in naval architecture will also be presented at the conference. Some of the presentations will focus on structural design and optimisation.

- An increasing amount of attention is given to safety issues in marine structures. We also want the structures to be lighter so the ships can carry more cargo and save energy per freight tonne, Romanoff says.

One of the principal areas of research and development is the environmental impact of the structures. The materials and structures should be easy to make, maintain and recycle.

Given that a large number of experts in marine technology are gathering at Aalto University, one of the subjects chosen for the conference is energy production at wave power plants.

Structural strength on a cruise ship

Researchers in applied mechanics at Aalto University will present several results at the conference. One of the researched areas is the fatigue resistance of steel structures, specifically that of a cruise ship’s balcony opening.

According to Romanoff, the research project is a good example of how collaboration between the scientific community and the industry can help shipbuilders increase their competitiveness. The research was financed by the Finnish Metals and Engineering Competence Cluster (FIMECC Oy).

The subject for the research was high-strength steel manufactured by Ruukki Oy, which the STX Finland shipyard in Turku worked into a balcony opening for a ship’s shell structure. Aalto University analysed the structure and its fatigue resistance.

- STX used an extremely high quality method to work the surface of the steel. As a result, the structure’s fatigue strength was raised to completely new levels, Romanoff says.

Based on the research, the structure has been approved by a classification society, which means that STX Finland will be able to use the structure when building cruise ships.

The MARSTRUCT series of Conferences had its origin in the MARSTRUCT Network of Excellence. The aim of these conferences is to serve the scientific community and society at large and to develop marine structures that are safer, lighter and stronger.

For more information, please contact:

Professor Jani Romanoff
jani.romanoff@aalto.fi 
Tel. +358  50 511 3250
Aalto University, Department of Applied Mechanics

From 2011 Lahdelma has served as Vice Dean of the School of Engineering with the area of responsibility in research and research infrastructure at the school. In 2009 Lahdelma was appointed Professor of Energy Technology for Communities at the Department of Energy Technology at Aalto University for a fixed period of five years. He was appointed Head of the Department of Energy Technology for the period 1 September 2011 to 31 July 2013.

Before that he was Professor of Computer Science at the University of Turku (2000 to 2009) and Research Professor in energy markets at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (1997 to 2000). Lahdelma completed his doctorate in applied mathematics in 1994 at the Systems Analysis Laboratory of Helsinki University of Technology. The title of his doctoral thesis was "An Object-Oriented Mathematical Modelling System".

Risto Lahdelma is a highly distinguished researcher in the field of energy technology and has in the course of his career published a large number of peer-reviewed scientific articles (over 100 between 1995 and 2012).

Contact information:

Risto.Lahdelma@aalto.fi

Tel. +358 40 503 1030