• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.203-223
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• 2014

The extensive use of prestressed reinforced concrete (PSC) highway bridges in marine environment drastically increases the sensitivity to both fatigue-and corrosion-induced damage of their critical structural components during their service lives. Within this scenario, an integrated method that is capable of evaluating the fatigue reliability, identifying a condition-based maintenance, and predicting the remaining service life of its critical components is therefore needed. To accomplish this goal, a procedure for fatigue reliability prediction of PSC highway bridges is proposed in the present study. Vehicle-bridge coupling vibration analysis is performed for obtaining the equivalent moment ranges of critical section of bridges under typical fatigue truck models. Three-dimensional nonlinear mathematical models of fatigue trucks are simplified as an eleven-degree-of-freedom system. Road surface roughness is simulated as zero-mean stationary Gaussian random processes using the trigonometric series method. The time-dependent stress-concentration factors of reinforcing bars and prestressing tendons are accounted for more accurate stress ranges determination. The limit state functions are constructed according to the Miner's linear damage rule, the time-dependent S-N curves of prestressing tendons and the site-specific stress cycle prediction. The effectiveness of the methodology framework is demonstrated to a T-type simple supported multi-girder bridge for fatigue reliability evaluation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.589-595
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• 2010

This paper presents a reliability-based shape optimization (RBSO) using the evolutionary structural optimization (ESO). An actual design involves uncertain conditions such as material property, operational load, poisson's ratio and dimensional variation. The deterministic optimization (DO) is obtained without considering of uncertainties related to the uncertainty parameters. However, the RBSO can consider the uncertainty variables because it has the probabilistic constraints. In order to determine whether the probabilistic constraint is satisfied or not, simulation techniques and approximation methods are developed. In this paper, the reliability-based shape design optimization method is proposed by utilization the reliability index approach (RIA), performance measure approach (PMA), single-loop single-vector (SLSV), adaptive-loop (ADL) are adopted to evaluate the probabilistic constraint. In order to apply the ESO method to the RBSO, a sensitivity number is defined as the change of strain energy in the displacement constraint. Numerical examples are presented to compare the DO with the RBSO. The results of design example show that the RBSO model is more reliable than deterministic optimization.

• International Journal of Reliability and Applications
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.125-150
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• 2014

Accelerated life tests (ALTs) are extensively used to determine the reliability of a product in a short period of time. Test units are subject to elevated stresses which yield quick failures. ALT can be carried out using constant-stress, step-stress, progressive-stress, cyclic-stress or random-stress loading and their various combinations. An ALT with linearly increasing stress is ramp-stress test. Much of the previous work on planning ALTs has focused on constant-stress, step-stress, ramp-stress schemes and their various combinations where the stress is generally increased. This paper presents an optimal design of ramp soak-stress ALT model which is based on the principle of Thermal cycling. Thermal cycling involves applying high and low temperatures repeatedly over time. The optimal plan consists in finding out relevant experimental variables, namely, stress rates and stress rate change points, by minimizing variance of reliability function with pre-specified mission time under normal operating conditions. The Burr type XII life distribution and time-censored data have been used for the purpose. Burr type XII life distribution has been found appropriate for accelerated life testing experiments. The method developed has been explained using a numerical example and sensitivity analysis carried out.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.101-115
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• 2013

This paper examines the application of structural reliability analysis to submarine pressure hulls to clarify the merits of probabilistic approach in respect thereof. Ultimate strength prediction methods which take the inelastic behavior of ring-stiffened cylindrical shells and hemi-spherical shells into account are reviewed. The modeling uncertainties in terms of bias and coefficient of variation for failure prediction methods in current design guidelines are defined by evaluating the compiled experimental data. A simple ultimate strength formulation for ring-stiffened cylinders taking into account the interaction between local and global failure modes and an ultimate strength formula for hemispherical shells which have better accuracy and reliability than current design codes are taken as basis for reliability analysis. The effects of randomness of geometrical and material properties on failure are assessed by a prelimnary study on reference models. By evaluation of sensitivity factors important variables are determined and comparesons are made with conclusions of previous reliability studies.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.223-231
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• 2007

Considering wind speed uncertainty, reliability analysis of the LNG unloading arm at Tongyoung Production Site was performed. Extreme distribution of wind speed was estimated from the data collected at the weather center and wind load was calculated using wind velocities and coefficients of wind pressure. The unloading arm was modeled with plate and solid elements. Contact elements were used to describe the interface between base of structure andground. Response surface for maximum effective stress was found for reliability analysis and then reliability functions was defined and used to determine exceeding probability of allowable and yield stresses. In addition, sensitivity analysis was also performed to estimate the effect of possible material deterioration in the future.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.246-255
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate the reliability and validity of the questionnaire of pattern identification (PI) in traditional chinese medicine (TCM), through the systematic review of china national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI) database. We searched the articles related with reliability and validity of the questionnaire of PI and published from January 1994 to December 2013. Seventeen questionnaires were analyzed in this study. The twelve (70.6%) questionnaires were developed on the base of specific disease, and five (29.4%) ones were developed on the base of non-specific disease. Three of PI questionnaires showed low inter-item consistency reliability. Exploratory factor analysis of construct validity, content validity, and criterion validity analysis were commonly used on the assessment of validity, but none of them was analysed at the same study. There was only one questionnaire of the ischemic stroke that examined the sensitivity and specificity of both training and test groups in spite of the absence of a gold standard.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2021

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to conduct inter-rater and intra-rater reliability tests in patients with low back pain (LBP) using the prone instability test (PIT) and side-lying instability test (SIT). We have analyzed the Korean version Oswestry disability index (K-ODI) correlations and radiograph finding (RF) for validity. METHODS: Individuals (n = 51) (mean age of 40.27 ± 13.28) with LBP for at least over a week were recruited, together with two participating physical therapist examiners. The measurement consisted of PIT, PST, K-ODI, and RF. Sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value, negative predictive value, prevalence index, agreement %, Cohen's kappa, and prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK) were calculated. The PIT and SIT were compared with RF for validity analysis, while PIT, SIT, K-ODI, and RF were calculated for the correlation analysis. RESULTS: The intra-rater reliability test measured for the PIT (kappa = .79, PABAK = .88) and SIT (kappa = .73, PABAK = .84), and inter-rater reliability test measured for the SIT (kappa = .80, PABAK = .88) showed good agreements. The PIT (Sn = .65, Sp = .63) and SIT validities (Sn = .68, Sp = .70) were compared with RF, showing a significant correlation in PIT and RF (r = .69), SIT and RF (r = .73), and PIT and K-ODI (r = .53). CONCLUSION: The SIT is a more comfortable position test than the PIT in patients. Both PIT and SIT have acceptable reliability and validity.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.59-74
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• 2022

This study introduces a general reliability-based, performance-based design framework to design frames regarding their uncertainties and user-defined design goals. The Iterative-R method extracted from the main framework can designate a proper R (i.e., response modification factor) satisfying the design goal regarding target reliability index and pre-defined probability of collapse. The proposed methodology is based on FEMA P-695 and can be used for all systems that FEMA P-695 applies. To exemplify the method, multiple three-dimensional, four-story steel special moment-resisting frames are considered. Closed-form relationships are fitted between frames' responses and the modeling parameters. Those fits are used to construct limit state functions to apply reliability analysis methods for design safety assessment and the selection of proper R. The frameworks' unique feature is to consider arbitrarily defined probability density functions of frames' modeling parameters with an insignificant analysis burden. This characteristic enables the alteration in those parameters' distributions to meet the design goal. Furthermore, with sensitivity analysis, the most impactful parameters are identifiable for possible improvements to meet the design goal. In the studied examples, it is revealed that a proper R for frames with different levels of uncertainties could be significantly different from suggested values in design codes, alarming the importance of considering the stochastic behavior of elements' nonlinear behavior.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.11-28
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• 2009

Intelligent investment in setup cost reduction and process reliability improvement is crucial to an emerging integrated lean six sigma practice today. This study examines a cost-minimizing problem of jointly determining production lot size, setup cost reduction, and process reliability improvement decisions for a manufacturer with an imperfect production process. We develop models for previously untapped discrete shipping in a supply chain context as well as continuous shipping and solve them optimally using differential calculus and nonlinear programming. We also conduct analytic and numerical sensitivity analyses to provide various important managerial insights into practices.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.573-584
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• 2010

This paper considers the differences in the software execution environments in the testing phase and the operational phase to determine the optimal release time and warranty period of software systems. We formulate equations for the total expected software cost until the end of the software life cycle based on the NHPP. In addition, we derive the optimal release time that minimizes the total expected software cost for an imperfect debugging software reliability model. Finally, we analyze the sensitivity of the optimal testing and maintenance design related to variation of the cost model parameters based on the fault data observed in the actual testing process, and discuss the quantitative properties of the proposed model.