• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.465-482
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• 2024

In this paper, a robust wireless sensor network configuration design method is proposed to develop the optimal configuration under the consideration of sensor failure and energy consumption. A malfunctioned sensor in a wireless sensor network may lead to data transmission failure of the entire sensing cluster, inducing severe deterioration in system identification performance. The proposed method determines a wireless sensor network configuration that is robust against sensor failure. By utilizing Bayesian inference, we introduce a robust indicator to evaluate the impact on estimation accuracy of sensor configurations with various malfunctioned sensors. Moreover, a network formation strategy is proposed to optimize the energy efficiency of the wireless sensor network configuration. Therefore, the resultant robust wireless sensor network configuration can operate with the minimum energy consumption while the measurement information of the sensor network with malfunctioned sensors can be guaranteed. The proposed method is illustrated by designing the robust wireless sensor network configurations of a truss model and a bridge model.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.345-352
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• 2016

As aircrafts are being operated at high altitude, wing structures experience various fatigue loadings under cryogenic environments. As a result, fatigue damage such as a crack could be develop that could eventually lead to a catastrophic failure. For this reason, fatigue damage monitoring is an important process to ensure efficient maintenance and safety of structures. To implement damage detection in real-world flight environments, a special cooling chamber was built. Inside the chamber, the temperature was maintained at the cryogenic temperature, and harmonic fatigue loading was given to a wing structure. In this study, piezoelectric active-sensing based guided waves were used to detect the fatigue damage. In particular, a beamforming technique was applied to efficiently measure the scattering wave caused by the fatigue damage. The system was used for detection, growth monitoring, and localization of a fatigue crack. In addition, a sensor diagnostic process was also applied to ensure the proper operation of piezoelectric sensors. Several experiments were implemented and the results of the experiments demonstrated that this process could efficiently detect damage in such an extreme environment.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.133-140
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the new eco water tank which is made of high density polyethylene and concrete with low temperature cement. The strength and failure mode of eco water tank was examined through tensile test with mixture of concrete and HDPE, temperature monitoring for various kind of concrete, admixture contains etc. The strength and failure mode were examined through tensile test with mixture of concrete and HDPE, temperature monitering for different kinds of concrete, strength test with different admixtures etc. It was found that shear connector between concrete and HDPE effects significantly contributed to the combined structures. ㄱ type shear connector results in tensile strength of up to 40% compared to that of V type shear connector. Based on test result, the new eco composite tank improved the stability and safety the old one and demonstrated the applicability and capability.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.283-300
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• 2015

Visual condition inspections remain paramount to assessing the current deterioration status of a bridge and assigning remediation or maintenance tasks so as to ensure the ongoing serviceability of the structure. However, in recent years, there has been an increasing backlog of maintenance activities. Existing research reveals that this is attributable to the labour-intensive, subjective and disruptive nature of the current bridge inspection method. Current processes ultimately require lane closures, traffic guidance schemes and inspection equipment. This not only increases the whole-of-life costs of the bridge, but also increases the risk to the travelling public as issues affecting the structural integrity may go unaddressed. As a tool for bridge condition inspections, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or, drones, offer considerable potential, allowing a bridge to be visually assessed without the need for inspectors to walk across the deck or utilise under-bridge inspection units. With current inspection processes placing additional strain on the existing bridge maintenance resources, the technology has the potential to significantly reduce the overall inspection costs and disruption caused to the travelling public. In addition to this, the use of automated aerial image capture enables engineers to better understand a situation through the 3D spatial context offered by UAV systems. However, the use of UAV for bridge inspection involves a number of critical issues to be resolved, including stability and accuracy of control, and safety to people. SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) is a technique that could be used by a UAV to build a map of the bridge underneath, while simultaneously determining its location on the constructed map. While there are considerable economic and risk-related benefits created through introducing entirely new ways of inspecting bridges and visualising information, there also remain hindrances to the wider deployment of UAVs. This study is to provide a context for use of UAVs for conducting visual bridge inspections, in addition to addressing the obstacles that are required to be overcome in order for the technology to be integrated into current practice.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.6 no.5_6
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• pp.749-765
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• 2010

There are on-going efforts to utilize guided waves for structural damage detection. Active sensing devices such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT) have been widely used for guided wave generation and sensing. In addition, there has been increasing interest in adopting wireless sensing to structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. One of major challenges in wireless SHM is to secure power necessary to operate the wireless sensors. However, because active sensing devices demand relatively high electric power compared to conventional passive sensors such as accelerometers and strain gauges, existing battery technologies may not be suitable for long-term operation of the active sensing devices. To tackle this problem, a new wireless power transmission paradigm has been developed in this study. The proposed technique wirelessly transmits power necessary for PZT-based guided wave generation using laser and optoelectronic devices. First, a desired waveform is generated and the intensity of the laser source is modulated accordingly using an electro-optic modulator (EOM). Next, the modulated laser is wirelessly transmitted to a photodiode connected to a PZT. Then, the photodiode converts the transmitted light into an electric signal and excites the PZT to generate guided waves on the structure where the PZT is attached to. Finally, the corresponding response from the sensing PZT is measured. The feasibility of the proposed method for wireless guided wave generation has been experimentally demonstrated.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.55-69
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• 2021

Ultrapure ferritic stainless steel provides a new generation of long-span metal roof systems with continuous welding technology, which exhibits many unknown behaviors during wind excitation. This study focuses on the wind-resistant capacity of a new continuous welding stainless steel roof (CWSSR) system. Full-scale testing on the welding joints and the CWSSR system is performed under uniaxial tension and static ultimate wind uplift loadings, respectively. A finite element model is developed with mesh refinement optimization and is further validated with the testing results, which provides a reliable way of investigating the parameter effect on the wind-induced structural responses, namely, the width and thickness of the roof sheeting and welding height. Research results show that the CWSSR system has predominant wind-resistant performance and can bear an ultimate wind uplift loading of 10.4 kPa without observable failures. The welding joints achieve equivalent mechanical behaviors as those of base material is produced with the current of 65 A. Independent structural responses can be found for the roof sheeting of the CWSSR system, and the maximum displacement appears at the middle of the roof sheeting, while the maximum stress appears at the connection supports between the roof sheeting with a significant stress concentration effect. The responses of the CWSSR system are greatly influenced by the width and thickness of the roof sheeting but are less influenced by the welding height.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.233-241
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• 2024

In this study, finite element analyses of coated steel pipes were conducted to research the development of sensing-based monitoring smart pipes. The coated steel pipes underwent a chemical coating pretreatment process that used modified polyethylene on both the inside and outside surfaces. Furthermore, the steel pipes were designed to minimize damage during the expansion process by incorporating connecting parts. To evaluate structural performance under various loads, four loading conditions were established: static structural analysis by earth pressure, fatigue life evaluation by vehicle load, and resistance to water leakage under both tensile and compressive loads. The analysis estimated a higher fatigue life for the developed steel pipe, compared with that of a steel pipe using ready-made epoxy coatings and joints. In addition, an average maximum displacement reduction of 56.1% and a maximum stress reduction of 61.2% were confirmed under identical conditions and diameters, thereby verifying the safety of the connecting parts of the developed coated steel pipe. Furthermore, the results of stress distribution contour analyses revealed superior water leakage resistance at the fastening parts, compared with the centers of the pipes.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.363-377
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• 2018

The proper functioning of critical points on transport infrastructure is decisive for the entire network. Tunnels and bridges certainly belong to the critical points of the surface transport network, both road and rail. Risk management should be a holistic and dynamic process throughout the entire life cycle. However, the level of risk is usually determined only during the design stage mainly due to the fact that it is a time-consuming and costly process. This paper presents a simplified quantitative risk analysis method that can be used any time during the decades of a tunnel's lifetime and can estimate the changing risks on a continuous basis and thus uncover hidden safety threats. The presented method is a decision support system for tunnel managers designed to preserve or even increase tunnel safety. The CAPITA method is a deterministic scenario-oriented risk analysis approach for assessment of mortality risks in road tunnels in case of the most dangerous situation - a fire. It is implemented through an advanced risk analysis CAPITA SW. Both, the method as well as the resulting software were developed by the authors' team. Unlike existing analyzes requiring specialized microsimulation tools for traffic flow, smoke propagation and evacuation modeling, the CAPITA contains comprehensive database with the results of thousands of simulations performed in advance for various combinations of variables. This approach significantly simplifies the overall complexity and thus enhances the usability of the resulting risk analysis. Additionally, it provides the decision makers with holistic view by providing not only on the expected risk but also on the risk's sensitivity to different variables. This allows the tunnel manager or another decision maker to estimate the primary change of risk whenever traffic conditions in the tunnel change and to see the dependencies to particular input variables.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.279-288
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• 2020

Sand dams are formed by installing beams across rivers and filling the secured space with water and a permeable material, such as sand, which stores the water in available pore space. These structures have mainly been reported in Kenya, Africa. This study proposes a sand dam design that improves structural safety and water intake. First, to increase the stability of the concrete wall of the dam, steel barbed wire connections are proposed for construction. Second, by using geotextile fabrics, evaporation may be reduced from 45% to 8%, and horizontal permeable discharge could be reduced markedly, therefore improving water storage capabilities. In addition, the water intake increased by ~2.4 times that of the previous design. Third, filtration efficiency is improved by selecting a sedimentary site for improved water quality. Finally, the installation of a tensiometer is suggested for monitoring the sand dam.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.281-286
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• 2005

Objective : The authors report our experience of urokinase thrombolysis in treating patients harboring nonaneurysmal spontanesous intraventricular hemorrhage[IVH] and evaluated complications, safety and feasibility of this procedure retrospectively. Methods : Fifty-three patients with nonaneurysmal IVH>15mL without underlying structural etiology or coagulopathy were recruited. The patients with Glasgow Coma Scale[GCS]<5 were excluded. A catheter was directed into the IVH. Hematoma aspiration was followed by instillation of urokinase at the ear level of drainage bag under intracranial pressure monitoring system. This was repeated every 6hours until half of its initial volume. For analysis of prognostic factors, we classified the patients into two groups by Glasgow outcome scale[GOS]; good [$GOS\;{\ge}3$] and bad [GOS<3] prognosis group, and performed comparative analysis between two groups. Results : Mean age was 60.2years. The baseline hematoma size ranged 16 to 72mL. IVH volume reduction was done by an average of 74.2%. As complications, there were 3cases of rebleeding and 2cases of ventriculitis. No intracranial adverse effects were observed during thrombolytic theraphy. At 6months after the procedure, 29patients had achieved a good recovery, 15remained vegetative. 9patients died in hospital. The main good prognostic factors were young age, small IVH volume, and high GCS. Conclusion : The results of this study suggest that this relatively easy and safe method of treatment will improve the prognosis. However, further clinical studies also must assess optimal thrombolytic dosage, frequency, and timing of urokinase instillation for safety and effectiveness and must include controlled comparisons of mortality, disability outcome, quality of life, time until convalescence, and cost of care in treated and untreated patients.