• Computers and Concrete
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2019

Current article proposes a cheap prototype of an embedded wireless sensor to monitor concrete structures. The prototype can measure temperature and relative humidity concurrently at a controlled through smartphone time interval. It implements a maturity method to estimate in-place concrete strength, which is considered as an alternative for traditional shock impulse method and compression tests used in Kazakhstan. The prototype was tested and adequately performed in the laboratory and field conditions. Tests aimed to study the effect of internal and ambient temperature and relative humidity on the concrete strength gain. According to test results revealed that all parameters influence the strength gain to some extent. For a better understanding of how strongly parameters influence the strength as well as each other, proposed a multicolored cross-correlation matrix technique. The technique is based on the determination coefficients. It is able to show the value of significance of correlation, its positivity or negativity, as well as the degree of inter-influence of parameters. The prototype testing also recognized the inconvenience of Bluetooth control due to weakness of signal and inability to access several prototypes simultaneously. Therefore, further improvement of the prototype presume to include the replacement of Bluetooth by Narrow Band IoT standard.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.97-107
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• 2019

The frame structures investigated in this paper is composed of Concrete encased columns with L-shaped steel section and steel beams. The seismic behavior of this structural system is studied through experimental and numerical studies. A 2-bay, 3-story and 1/3 scaled frame specimen is tested under constant axial loading and cyclic lateral loading applied on the column top. The load-displacement hysteretic loops, ductility, energy dissipation, stiffness and strength degradation are investigated. A typical failure mode is observed in the test, and the experimental results show that this type of framed structure exhibit a high strength with good ductility and energy dissipation capacity. Furthermore, finite element analysis software Perform-3D was conducted to simulate the behavior of the frame. The calculating results agreed with the test ones well. Further analysis is conducted to investigate the effects of parameters including concrete strength, column axial compressive force and steel ratio on the seismic performance indexes, such as the elastic stiffness, the maximum strength, the ductility coefficient, the strength and stiffness degradation, and the equivalent viscous damping ratio. It can be concluded that with the axial compression ratio increasing, the load carrying capacity and ductility decreased. The load carrying capacity and ductility increased when increasing the steel ratio. Increasing the concrete grade can improve the ultimate bearing capacity of the structure, but the ductility of structure decreases slightly.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.205-213
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• 2021

Water infusion has long been taken as an effective way to eliminate coal burst risk as coal properties can be loosen and soften by water infusion. However, not all industrial trials of water infusion for coal burst prevention have been necessarily effective in all situations as the effectiveness of this method can be affected by water infusion time, coal properties and the parameters of water injection. Hence, some fundamental issues including the effects of water infusion time on burst propensity and energy evolution need to be further discussed. In this paper, four groups of coal specimens with 0 day, 5 days, 10 days, and 15 days water saturation time are tested under uniaxial compression load with the application of AE monitoring. To comprehensively compare the burst behavior of coal specimens under different water saturation time, stress-strain curves, AE counts, fragmentation characteristics and burst propensity of these groups are analyzed. It was found by this research that sufficient water saturation can mitigate the burst behavior of coal samples while insufficient water infusion might cannot reach the burst mitigation aims.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.239-253
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• 2022

Suitable techniques to stabilize organic soil and improve its engineering behaviour are in demand. Despite various alternatives, nano-additives proved to be an effective stabilizer owing to their strength enhancing properties. The study focuses on using nano-silica as a potential stabilizer to improve organic silt. Soil was treated with four dosages of nano-silica namely 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8% of dry weight of the soil. Nano-silica treated soil showed a strength increase of nearly 25% at a dosage of 0.4% after curing for two hours. Strength of the treated soil improved with age. Strength improved by nearly 62.9% after 28 days of curing and 221.4% after 180 days of curing due to formation of Calcium - Silicate - Hydrate (CSH) gel in the soil matrix. Dosage of 0.6% nano-silica is observed to be the optimum dosage. Coefficient of permeability and compression index showed an increase by 13.32 and 5.5 times respectively owing to aggregation of particles and creation of void spaces as visualized from the scanning electron micrographs. Further model foundation study and numerical parametric studies using PLAXIS 2D indicate that optimized and economic results can be obtained by varying the additive dosage with depth.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.133-139
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to report a case in which neoplasm metastases of cervical vertebrae were found in lung cancer patient during inpatient treatment for neck pain. Pain assessment and physical examination including numeral rating scale, range of motion of neck, Spurling's test, cervical compression test were performed. As a result, C-spine series X-ray was taken under the judgement it is not a simple neck pain. Bone metastases were suspected as X-ray showed loss of C7 left pedicle, indistinct C7 left transverse process and indistinct C4 upper margin. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography were taken as further examination, and metastases of C4, C6, C7 were confirmed. The patient was transferred for professional treatment. In conclusion, this study shows the importance of appropriate diagnostic evaluation such as pain assessment and physical examination, and the need for diagnostic imaging in the treatment of patients with neoplasm history.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.627-643
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• 2022

Water-rock interactions have a significant influence on the mechanical behavior of rocks. In this study, uniaxial compression and tension tests on different water-treated sandstone samples were conducted. Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring and micro-pore structure detection were carried out. Water-rock interactions and their effects on rock mechanical behavior were discussed. The results indicate that water content significantly weakens rock mechanical strength. The sensitivity of the mechanical parameters to water treatment, from high to low, are Poisson ratio (𝜇), uniaxial tensile strength (UTS), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), elastic modulus (E), and peak strain (𝜀). After water treatment, AE activities and the shear crack percentage are reduced, the angles between macro fractures and loading direction are minimized, the dynamic phenomenon during loading is weakened, and the failure mode changes from a mixed tensile-shear type to a tensile one. Due to the softening, lubrication, and water wedge effects in water-rock interactions, water content increases pore size, promotes crack development, and weakens micro-pore structures. Further damage of rocks in fractured and caved zones due to the water-rock interactions leads to an extra load on the adjoining coal and rock masses, which will increase the risk of dynamic disasters.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.535-547
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• 2022

Failure patterns of rock specimens represent valuable information about the mechanical properties and crack evolution mechanism of rock. Several kinds of research have been conducted regarding the failure mechanism of brittle material, however; the influence of brittleness on the failure mechanism of rock specimens has not been precisely considered. In the present study, experimental and numerical examinations have been made to evaluate the physical and mechanical phenomena associated with rock failure mechanisms through the uniaxial compression test. In the experimental part, Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) tests equipped with Acoustic Emission (AE) have been conducted on rock samples with three different brittleness. Then, the numerical models have been calibrated based on experimental test results for further investigation and comparing the micro-cracking process in experimental and numerical models. It can be perceived that the failure mode of specimens with high brittleness is tensile axial splitting, based on the experimental evidence of rock specimens with different brittleness. Also, the crack growth mechanism of the rock specimens with various brittleness using discrete element modeling in the numerical part suggested that the specimens with more brittleness contain more tensile fracture during the loading sequences.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.505-514
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• 2021

A formulation based on structural reliability and cost effectiveness is proposed to provide recommendations to select the best retrofit strategy for schools with reinforced concrete frames and masonry walls, among three proposed alternatives. The cost calculation includes the retrofit cost and the expected costs of failure consequences. Also, the uncertainty of the seismic hazard is considered for each school site. The formulation identifies the potential failure modes, among shear and bending forces for beams, and flexure-compression forces for columns, for each school, and the seismic damages suffered by the schools after the earthquake of September 17, 2017 are taken into account to calibrate the damaged conditions per school. The school safety level is measured through its global failure probability, instead of only the local failure probability. The proposed retrofit alternatives are appraised in terms of the cost/benefit balance under future earthquakes, for the respective site seismic hazard, as opposed to the current practice of just restoring the structure original resistance. The best retrofit is the one that corresponds to the minimum value of the expected life cycle cost. The study, with further developments, may be used to develop general recommendations to retrofit schools located at seismic zones.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.211-220
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• 2023

Welded hollow spherical joints are commonly used joints in space grid structures. An internal stiffener is generally adopted to strengthen the joints when large hollow spheres are used. To further strengthen it, external stiffeners can be used at the same time. In this study, axial compression tests are conducted on four full-scale 550 mm spherical joints. The failure modes and strengths of the tested joints are investigated. It shows that the external stiffeners are able to increase the strength of the joint up to 25%. A numerical model for large spherical joints with stiffeners is established and verified against the experimental results. Parametric studies are executed considering six main design factors using the verified model. It is found that the strength of the spherical joint increases as the thickness, height and number of the external stiffeners increase, and the hollow sphere's diameter has a neglectable effect on the enhancement caused by the external stiffeners. Based on the experimental and numerical results, a practical formula for the compressive bearing capacity of large welded hollow spherical joints with both internal and external stiffeners is proposed. The proposed formula gives a conservative prediction on the compressive capacity of large welded hollow spherical joints with both internal and external stiffeners.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.197-208
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• 2023

Rate-dependent mechanical response of sand, subjected to loading of medium to high strain rate range, is of interest for several civilian and military applications. Such rate-dependent response can vary significantly based on the initial density state of the sand, applied confining pressure, considered strain rate range, drainage condition and sand morphology. A numerical study has been carried out employing a recently proposed visco-plastic constitutive model to explore the rate-dependent mechanical behaviour of Toyoura sand under drained triaxial loading condition. The model parameters have been calibrated using the experimental data on Toyoura sand available in published literature. Under strain rates higher than a reference strain rate, the simulation results are found to be in good agreement with the experimentally observed characteristic shearing behaviour of sand, which includes increased shear strength, pronounced post-peak softening and suppressed compression. The rate-dependent response, subjected to intermediate strain rate range, has further been assessed in terms of enhancement of peak shear strength and peak friction angle over varying initial density and confining pressure. The simulation results indicate that the rate-induced strength increase is highest for the dense state and such strength enhancements remain nearly independent of the applied confinement level.