This paper describes the procedure developed to compare the dynamic behavior of a structure due to an impact load. The comparison procedure is especially useful for controlling the impact level and repeatability during testing, but it can also be used for fine-tuning the process of simplified models or finite element models. Both features provide important engineering value and permit the assessment of transient impact histories, qualitatively and quantitatively. More than 240 soft impacts, from a human impact against glass test campaign, have been used to develop and validate the comparison method.Three indicators have been defined in order to control the most significant impact parameters: the impact level (impulse), duration of the impact (stiffness), and maximum acceleration (peak system response). Based on the knowledge of the impact phenomena, the procedure defines a Similarity Index (SIn) that entails the weighted addition of the indicators. The SIn procedure assigns a numerical value to the difference between two time histories over the duration of the contact, and it is used to compare a series of data from a database of soft human impacts tests versus standard glass curves and curves obtained from a simplified 2DOF model.

Many of the techniques for making decisions, including land use, depend on the weight assigned for each criterion. These criteria can be based on a panel of experts’ opinions, who assess certain decisions’ influence on the final objectives. These opinions should be contrasted to decide if they are used or select the ones used to achieve an internal coherence. In this study, we evaluate the responses provided by an expert panel in the context of future environmental management of an agroforestry territory in the Salta Province (Argentina). The experts belong to different entities in the studied area, such as Universities, Research Centers, Administrative Authorities, Associations, and non-governmental organizations. They evaluated five productive techniques’ influence on 31 criteria related to environmental, social, and economic consequences. The Kendall’s Tau correlation coefficient between each pair of experts’ opinions is proposed to measure the rate of agreement among the expert panel answers. From these coefficients, a concordance matrix is generated. Based on this matrix, dendrograms are created to group the experts. In this case study, the results show two productive techniques with a high discordance rate, while the other three have a higher agreement among the expert panelists. The influence of these results in a multicriteria decision about the productive use of land is evaluated.

Realizado el acto de defensa y lectura de la Tesis el día ……. de …………………….. de 20…… en E.T.S.I./Facultad ………………………………………………… Calificación ……………………………………………………………….… EL PRESIDENTE LOS VOCALES EL SECRETARIOiii AGRADECIMIENTOSA Dios, por permitirme llegar a este momento tan especial en mi vida.Mi profundo agradecimiento a mis directores de tesis Juan Grau Olive y Antonio Saa Requejo, que, con su sabiduría, conocimiento, guía y apoyo he logrado culminar este trabajo de titulación, pues sin su confianza no hubiera llegado a este punto.

The study of the behaviour of glass plates under dynamic loads presents difficulties due to the uncertainty of the definition of load level, particularly in the case of human impact. The main differences from other impact tests are the dimensions of the specimens and the support structures for the various configurations, especially when tests are performed on a specific part of the building, for example, the facade. Even in tests performed under controlled conditions, in accordance with the standards, it can be observed that the level of excitation of the glass plate is clearly lower than expected if the initial height of the impactor is used. This has been observed in a test campaign involving 240 impacts, undertaken in accordance with EN 12,600. The analysis of the data shows that a percentage of energy (20%) does not deform the glass and is distributed among the remaining parts of the configuration. An experimental model has been developed in regard to the energy dissipation in order to obtain a more realistic level of excitation of the plate, using the effective impulse obtained from an accelerometer located on the pendulum head.

Land use planning involves making an appropriate decision and selecting a use over other alternatives. A step-by-step methodology was developed to evaluate the optimal combination of regional land use technologies and the spatial allocation. For a realistic approach, a case study (specifically Rivadavia department, Salta, Argentina) is considered, which has deforestation problems and the advance of intensive and extractive agriculture. Five management techniques are considered for the area: precision agriculture (T1), advance livestock farming (T2), payment for ecosystem service (T3), traditional agriculture–livestock farming—Criollo (T4), and traditional forest management—Wichi (T5). A land evaluation on a GIS model is carried out to obtain the land suitability for each technique. Analyzing local experts’ opinions using the Markowitz portfolio methodology allows us to obtain an optimal combination of techniques. Finally, a Simplex method analysis linked with the GIS is performed to allocate the five techniques over the territory maximizing land suitability and in compliance with percent surface assignments. The result assigns each GIS polygon to a specific technique, reaching optimal land suitability in 92% of the territory. Natural capital and social attributes had a significant and complex impact on technology choice, but objective and optimized approaches in their allocation were possible and provides valuable information to guide public policies.