• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.699-715
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• 2015

A modal parameter based damage sensitive feature (DSF) is defined to mimic the relative change in any diagonal element of the stiffness matrix of a model of a structure. The damage assessment is performed in a statistical pattern recognition framework using empirical complementary cumulative distribution functions (ECCDFs) of the DSFs extracted from measured operational vibration response data. Methods are discussed to perform probabilistic structural health assessment with respect to the following questions: (a) "Is there a change in the current state of the structure compared to the baseline state?", (b) "Does the change indicate a localized stiffness reduction or increase?", with the latter representing a situation of retrofitting operations, and (c) "What is the severity of the change in a probabilistic sense?". To identify a range of normal structural variations due to environmental and operational conditions, lower and upper bound ECCDFs are used to define the baseline structural state. Such an approach attempts to decouple "non-damage" related variations from damage induced changes, and account for the unknown environmental/operational conditions of the current state. The damage assessment procedure is discussed using numerical simulations of ambient vibration testing of a bridge deck system, as well as shake table experimental data from a 4-story steel frame.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.73-87
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• 2015

In case of aircraft impact on nuclear containment structures, the initial kinetic energy of the aircraft is transferred and absorbed by the outer containment, may causing either complete or partial failure of containment structure. In the present study safety analysis of BWR Mark III type containment has been performed. The total height of containment is 67 m. It has a circular wall with monolithic dome of 21m diameter. Crash analysis has been performed for fighter jet Phantom F4. A normal hit at the crown of containment dome has been considered. Numerical simulations have been carried out using finite element code ABAQUS/Explicit. Concrete Damage Plasticity model have been incorporated to simulate the behaviour of concrete at high strain rate, while Johnson-Cook elasto-visco model of ductile metals have been used for steel reinforcement. Maximum deformation in the containment building has reported as 33.35 mm against crash of Phantom F4. Deformations in concrete and reinforcements have been localised to the impact region. Moreover, no significant global damage has been observed in structure. It may be concluded from the present study that at higher velocity of aircraft perforation of the structure may happen.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.647-665
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• 2014

Squat reinforced concrete walls require enough shear strength in order to promote flexural yielding, which creates the need for designers of an accurate method for strength prediction. In many cases, especially for existing buildings, strength estimates might be insufficient when more accurate analyses are needed, such as pushover analysis. In this case, estimates of load versus displacement are required for building modeling. A model is developed that predicts the shear load versus shear deformation of squat reinforced concrete walls by means of a panel formulation. In order to provide a simple, design-oriented tool, the formulation considers the wall as a single element, which presents an average strain and stress field for the entire wall. Simple material constitutive laws for concrete and steel are used. The developed models can be divided into two categories: (i) rotating-angle and (ii) fixed-angle models. In the first case, the principal stress/strain direction rotates for each drift increment. This situation is addressed by prescribing the average normal strain of the panel. The formation of a crack, which can be interpreted as a fixed principal strain direction is imposed on the second formulation via calibration of the principal stress/strain direction obtained from the rotating-angle model at a cracking stage. Two alternatives are selected for the cracking point: fcr and 0.5fcr (post-peak). In terms of shear capacity, the model results are compared with an experimental database indicating that the fixed-angle models yield good results. The overall response (load-displacement) is also reasonable well predicted for specimens with diagonal compression failure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.343-361
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• 2007

This article presents a numerical tool for dimensioning two-threaded fasteners connecting prismatic parts subjected to fatigue tension loads that are coplanar with the screw axis. A simplified numerical model is developed from unidirectional finite elements, modeling the connected parts and screws with bent elements and the elastic contact layer between the parts with springs. An algorithm updating the contact stiffness matrix, calculating forces and displacements at each node of the structure and thus normal stresses in the screws in both static and fatigue is further developed using C language. An experimental study is also conducted in parallel with the numerical approach to validate the developed model assumptions, the numerical model and the 3D finite element results. Since stiffness values for the compressive zones in the parts are analytically difficult to determine, a statistical software method is used, from which a tuning factor is derived for identifying these stiffness values. The method is also applied to set out the influence of each parameter on the fatigue behaviour of each screw. Finally, the developed model will be used to establish a new, sophisticated, fast and accurate tool for dimensioning bolted mechanical structures.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.803-809
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• 2007

To those who spend most time within a room, comfortable indoor environment is a very critical element to job performance and health. The comfort technology, which is for enhancing comfort in human living, relates with various factors to ensure human activities efficient, comfortable, safe and satisfactory. Experiments were performed in environmental chamber. Experimental conditions were combinations from three temperatures of 18, 22 and 26C, and two relative humidity levels of 45 and 60%. Air-flow was controlled to 0.1m/s through the experiment. Four male and four female university students participated in the experiments. They had normal blood pressure and their body temperature was under $37^{\circ}C$. From the experiments for evaluating thermal sensation to the air-heating conditions, relationships among TSV, CSV, $SET^*$, PMV were analyzed. Results can be summarized as followings; Thermal neutrality $SET^*$ of man and female was $24.8^{\circ}C$. In air-heating condition, $SET^*$ values for thermal comfort zone were $23.0{\sim}26.5^{\circ}C$. These values were higher than the values from ASHRAE.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.187-200
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• 2001

Most of the portal frames are designed these days by the application of plastic analysis, with the normal assumption being made that the column bases are pinned. However, the couple produced by the compression action of the inner column flange and the tension in the holding down bolts will inevitably generate some moment resistance and rotational stiffness. Full-scale portal frame tests conducted during a previous research program had suggested that this moment can be as much as 20% of the moment of resistance of the column. The size of this moment of resistance is particularly important for the design of the tensile capacity of the holding down bolts and also the bearing resistance of the foundation. The present research program is aiming at defining this moment of resistance in simple design terms so that it could be included in the design of the frame. The investigation also included the study of the semi-rigid behaviour of the column base/foundation, which, to a certain extent, affects the overall loading capacity and stiffness of the portal frames. A series of column bases with various details were tested and were used to calibrate a finite element model which is able to simulate the action of the holding down bolts, the effect of the concrete foundation and the deformation of the base plate.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.207-230
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• 2012

Nowadays CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer) became widely used materials for the strengthening and retrofitting of structures. Many experimental and analytical studies are encountered at literature about strengthening beams by using this kind of materials against static loads and cyclic loads such as earthquake or wind loading for investigating their behavior. But authors did not found any study about strengthening of RC beams by using CFRP against low velocity impact and investigating their behavior. For these reasons an experimental study is conducted on totally ten strengthened RC beams. Impact loading is applied on to specimens by using an impact loading system that is designed by authors. Investigated parameters were concrete compression strength and drop height. Two different sets of specimens with different concrete compression strength tested under the impact loading that are applied by dropping constant weight hammer from five different heights. The acceleration arises from the impact loading is measured against time. The change of velocity, displacement and energy are calculated for all specimens. The failure modes of the specimens with normal and high concrete compression strength are observed under the loading of constant weight impact hammer that are dropped from different heights. Impact behaviors of beams are positively affected from the strengthening with CFRP. Measured accelerations, the number of drops up to failure and dissipated energy are increased. Finite element analysis that are made by using ABAQUS software is used for the simulation of experiments, and model gave compatible results with experiments.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.139-155
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• 2012

Serviceability rather than strength is the most critical design requirement for vibration-vulnerable floor constructions. Annoying vibrations due to normal walking activity have been observed more frequently on long-span lightweight floor systems in office and commercial retail buildings, raising the need for the development of floor vibration design procedures. This paper highlights some limitations of one of the most commonly used guidelines AISC/CISC DG11, and proposes improvements to this method. Design charts and approximate closed form formulas to estimate the walking response are developed in which various factors relating to the dynamic characteristics of both the floor and the excitation are considered. The accuracy of the proposed formulas and other proposals found in the literature is examined. The proposed modifications would be significant, especially with long-span floors where vibration levels may be underestimated by the current design procedure. The application of the proposed prediction method is illustrated by worked examples that reveal a good agreement with results obtained from finite element analyses and experiments. The presented work would enhance the accuracy and maintain the simplicity and convenience of the design guideline.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.766-775
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• 2015

The integrity assessment of reactor vessel internals should be conducted in the design process to secure the safety of nuclear power plants. Various loads such as self-weight, seismic load, flow-induced load, and preload are applied to the internals. Therefore, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code, Section III, defines the stress limit for reactor vessel internals. The present study focused on structural response analyses of the upper guide structure upper flange. The distributions of the stress intensity in the flange body were analyzed under various design load cases during normal operation. The allowable stress intensities along the expected sections of stress concentration were derived from the results of the finite element analysis for evaluating the structural integrity of the flange design. Furthermore, seismic analyses of the upper flange were performed to identify dynamic behavior with respect to the seismic and impact input. The mode superposition and full transient methods were used to perform time-history analyses, and the displacement at the lower end of the flange was obtained. The effect of the damping ratio on the response of the flange was also evaluated, and the acceleration was obtained. The results of elastic and seismic analyses in this study will be used as basic information to judge whether a flange design meets the acceptance criteria.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 1972

The present study is of ultra-fine structure of Cryptococcus neoformans by means of electron microscopy and reveals the following : 1) In constrast to the bacteria, the normal Cryptococcus neofrmans contains nuclear enveloped with nuclear menbrane, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, distinct cell wall and cell membrane, vacuoles and storage granules as observed in the eucaryotic cells. 2) In apparent cell walls and cell membrane with the appearance of electron transparent area (ETA) and changes of cell morphology were observed in the ultra-violet ray irradiated cell. 2) In apparent cell walls and cell membrance with the appreance of electron transparent area (ETA) and changes of cell morphology were observed in the ultra-violet ray irradiated cell. 3) Morphology changes and cytoplasmic element abnormality was increased with irradiated time. 4) Increase of electron transparent area was thought to be associated with degradation of cell.