• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2006

Purpose: Recently, the American Heart Association recommended that routine cervical spine protection in submerged patients was not necessary, except in high-energy injury situations. However, until now, this recommendation has few supportive studies and literatures. This retrospective study was performed to demonstrate the risk of cervical spine injury in patients who had been submerged in a river. Methods: Seventy-nine submerged patients who visited St. Mary's Hospital between January 2000 and December 2005 were included in this retrospective study. We investigated and analyzed the victim's age, sex, activity on submersion, mental status and level of severity at admission, prognosis at discharge, associated injuries, and risk group by using the medical records and cervical spine lateral images. According to the activity on submersion, victims were classified into three groups: high risk, low risk, and unknown risk. The reports of radiologic studies were classified into unstable fracture, stable fracture, sprain, degenerative change, and normal. Results: The patients' mean age was 36.8 yrs, and 54% were males. Of the 79 patients, adult and adolescent populations (80%) were dominant. Jumping from a high bridge (48%) was the most common activity on submersion and accounted for 52% of the high-risk group. The Glasgow coma scale at admission and the cerebral performance scale at discharge showed bimodal patterns. The results of the radiologic studies showed one stable fracture, one suspicious stable fracture, and 18 sprains. The incidence of cervical spine fracture in submerged patients was 2.5% in our study. The incidence of cervical spine injury was higher in the high-risk group than it was in the low-risk group, especially in the jumping-from-high-bridge subgroup; however this observation was not statistically significant. No other factors had any significant effect on the incidence of cervical spine injury. Conclusion: Our study showed that even submerged patients in the high risk group had a low incidence of cervical spine fracture and that the prognosis of a patient did not seem to be influenced by the cervical spine fracture itself.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.1-14
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• 2021

Recently, with the development of high-performance processing devices such as GPGPU, a three-dimensional dynamic analysis technique that can replace expensive rock material impact tests has been actively developed in the defense and aerospace fields. Experimentally observing or measuring fracture processes occurring in rocks subjected to high impact loads, such as blasting and earth penetration of small-diameter missiles, are difficult due to the inhomogeneity and opacity of rock materials. In this study, a three-dimensional dynamic fracture process analysis technique (3D-DFPA) was developed to simulate the fracture behavior of rocks due to impact. In order to improve the operation speed, an algorithm capable of GPGPU operation was developed for explicit analysis and contact element search. To verify the proposed dynamic fracture process analysis technique, the dynamic fracture toughness tests of the Straight Notched Disk Bending (SNDB) limestone samples were simulated and the propagation of the reflection and transmission of the stress waves at the rock-impact bar interfaces and the fracture process of the rock samples were compared. The dynamic load tests for the SNDB sample applied a Pulse Shape controlled Split Hopkinson presure bar (PS-SHPB) that can control the waveform of the incident stress wave, the stress state, and the fracture process of the rock models were analyzed with experimental results.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.395-405
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• 2018

In this paper, the performance of post-installed adhesive bonded anchor embedded in concrete is assessed using numerical simulations. This study aims at studying the influence of parameters on the performance of a chemically bonded anchorage system. Non-linear finite element modelling and simulations are carried out by properly using the material properties and phenomenon. Materials parameters such as characteristic length, fracture energy, damage criteria, tension retention and crack width of concrete and interface characteristics are carefully assigned so as to obtain a most realistic behaviour of the chemical anchor system. The peak strength of two different anchor systems obtained from present numerical studies is validated against experimental results. Furthermore, validated numerical models are used to study the load transferring mechanism and damage progression characteristics of various anchors systems where strength of concrete, strength of epoxy, and geometry and disposition of anchors are the parameters. The process of development of strain in concrete adjacent to the anchor and energy dissipated during the course of damage progression are analysed. Results show that the performance of the considered anchorage system is, though a combined effect of material and geometric parameters, but a clear distinction could be made on the parameters to achieve a desired performance based on strength, slip, strain development or dissipated energy. Inspite the increase in anchor capacity with increase in concrete strength, it brings some undesirable performance as well. Furthermore, the pullout capacity of the chemical anchor system increases with a decrease in disparity among the strength of concrete and epoxy.

• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.43-47
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• 2000

When estimating fatigue crack growth (FCG) life of structures, the use of crack growth models and knowledge of the values of their corresponding parameters are of vital importance. Inconsistency in using models with appropriate parameters can lead to enormous errors in FCG life prediction. In this paper examples are analyzed and compared with test results to show the possible problems, Consistency checks are necessary for avoiding some pitfalls, and also necessary for verifying the correct performance and accuracy of the used computer program.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.03a
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• pp.306-316
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• 2002

This paper summarizes the results of full-scale cyclic seismic testing on four RBS (reduced beam section) steel moment connections. Key test variables were web bolting vs. welding and strong vs. medium PZ (panel zone) strength. The specimen with medium PZ strength was specially designed to mobilize energy dissipation from both the PZ and RBS region in a balanced way; the aim was to reduce the requirement of expensive doubler plates. Both strong and medium PZ specimens with web-welding were able to provide sufficient connection rotation capacity required of special moment frames, whereas specimens with web-bolting showed inferior performance due to the premature brittle fracture of the beam flange across the weld access hole. In contrast to the case of web-welded specimens, the web-bolted specimens could not transfer the actual plastic moment of the original (or unreduced) beam section to the column. If a quality welding for the beam-to-column joint is made as in this study, the fracture-prone area tends to move into the beam flange base metal within the weld access hole. Analytical study was also conducted to understand the observed base metal fracture from the engineering mechanics point of view.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.929-940
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• 1995

The fatigue strength and fracture topography in the friction welded interface of high speed steel (HSS-Co) to SM55C carbon steel have been investigated through the fatigue test, SEM fractograph and EDS (energy dispersive spectrometer) analysis. Three kinds of specimens used in this research are the friction welded joints, HSS-Co and SM55C carbon steel with circumferential notch, saw notch and smooth, respectively. The notch sensitivity factor, .eta. of the friction welded joints is lower than that of the base materials, and that represents a superiority of the joint performance of FRW. Fracture topography of the FRW specimens with a notch showed a cleavage or brittle appearance, while that of the FRW smooth specimen appeared to be ductile. Furthermore, although fatigue crack likely initiated near the weld interface of the FRW smooth specimen, crack propagation continued into the HAZ of SM55C steel. Finally, fatigue fractures of the base materials were associated primarily with the inclusions located at the outer periphery of the specimen.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2007

Once assessment of material failure characteristics is captured precisely in a unified way, it can bedirectly incorporated into the structural failure assessment under various loading environments, based on the theoretical backgrounds so called Local Approach to Fracture. The aim of this study is to develop a numerical fatigue test method by continuum damage mechanics applicable for the assessment of structural integrity throughout crack initiation and structural failure based on the Local Approach to Fracture. The generalized elasto-visco-plastic constitutive equation, which can consider the internal damage evolution behavior, is developed and employed in the 3-D FEA code in order to numerically evaluate the material and/or structural responses. Explicit information of the relationships between the mechanical properties and material constants, which are required for the mechanical constitutive and damage evolution equations for each material, are implemented in numerical fatigue test method. The material constants selected from constitutive equations are used directly in the failure assessment of material and/or structures. The performance of the developed system has been evaluated with assessing the S-N diagram of stainless steel materials.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.525-539
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• 2014

Bonded composite-patch repair has been widely used to restore or extend the service life of damaged structures due to its effectiveness as a mechanical repair technique. In this paper using extended finite element method (XFEM), three-dimensional crack models are developed to examine the fracture behavior of centrally cracked aluminum plates repaired with single and double sided composite patches. Stress intensity factor (SIF) at the crack tip is used as the fracture criterion. In this regard, the effects of the crack lengths, patch materials, orientation of plies, adhesive and patch thickness are examined to estimate the SIF of the repaired plate and the repair performance. The obtained results show that composite patches have significant effect on reduction of the SIF at the crack tip. It is also proved that using double symmetric repair, in comparison to single one, reduces considerably SIF at the crack tip. Hence, the residual strength can be improved significantly as well as fatigue life of the structure. Investigation of ply orientation effects shows SIF increase as the ply orientation is changed from $0^{\circ}$ (perpendicular to the advancing crack) to $90^{\circ}$ (parallel to the crack line). However, the effectiveness of the ply orientation depends on the loading direction and the crack direction.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.439-452
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• 2018

This paper presents experimental and numerical study on buckling behaviors and hysteretic performance of Class 1 H-shaped steel beam subjected to cyclic pure bending within the scope of ultra-low cycle fatigue (ULCF). A loading device was designed to achieve the pure bending loading condition and 4 H-shaped specimens with a small width-to-thickness ratio were tested under 4 different loading histories. The emphasis of this work is on the impacts induced by local buckling and subsequent ductile fracture. The experimental and numerical results indicate that the specimen failure is mainly induced by elasto-plastic local buckling, and is closely correlated with the plastic straining history. Compared with monotonic loading, the elasto-plastic local buckling can occur at a much smaller displacement amplitude due to a number of preceding plastic reversals with relative small strain amplitudes, which is mainly correlated with decreasing tangent modulus of the material under cyclic straining. Ductile fracture is found to be a secondary factor leading to deterioration of the load-carrying capacity. In addition, a new ULCF life evaluation method is proposed for the specimens using the concept of energy decomposition, where the cumulative plastic energy is classified into two categories as isotropic hardening and kinematic hardening correlated. A linear correlation between the two energies is found and formulated, which compares well with the experimental results.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.325-335
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• 2016

This paper studies the effects of steel fibre geometry and architecture on the cracking behaviour of steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC), with the reinforcements being four types, namely 5DH ($Dramix^{(R)}$ hooked-end), 4DH, 3DH-60 and 3DH-35, of various hooked-end steel fibres at the fibre dosage of 40 and $80kg/m^3$. The test results show that the addition of steel fibres have little effect on the workability and compressive strength of SFRC, but the ultimate tensile loads, post-cracking behaviour, residual strength and the fracture energy of SFRC are closely related to the shapes of fibres which all increased with increasing fibre content. Results also revealed that the residual tensile strength is significantly influenced by the anchorage strength rather than the number of the fibres counted on the fracture surface. The 5DH steel fibre reinforced concretes have behaved in a manner of multiple crackings and more ductile compared to 3DH and 4DH ones, and the end-hooks of 4DH and 5DH fibres partially deformed in steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete (SFR-SCC). In practice, 5DH fibres should be used for reinforcing high or ultra-high performance matrixes to fully utilize their high mechanical anchorage.