• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.468-477
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• 2012

This study aimed to mix and test mortar incorporating activated Hwangtoh to improve the Hwangtoh brick bond strength of brick structures. To do this, the bond strength correlation of mortar was analyzed by means of materials and experiment factors and levels, and the optimum conditions were suggested after analyzing the physical properties of brick and the mix ratio of mortar and additive. Furthermore, the compressive strength and bond strength were found to be in inverse proportion, and in terms of the materials and mixing level, W/C ratio, substitution ratio of activated Hwangtoh, and fine aggregate grading were shown to have a considerable influence on the strength. In conclusion, the optimum mixing conditions to improve the bond strength are found to set W/C ratio at 65% and replacmenet ratio of activated Hwangtoh at 10%.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.113-130
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• 2015

This study considers the relation between firms' earnings management and credit rating. Unlike preceding papers only focusing earnings management by accrual(thereafter, AM), this paper examines the effect of accrual earnings management(AMs) and real earning management(thereafter, RM) on credit rating. RMs have more negative effects on firms' forward cash flow generation abilities and long term operating performances than AMs. So, RMs are more negative signals for credit analysts than AMs. But credit analysts have much difficulty in seeing through RM, because if credit analysts want to find out RMs, they have to understand firms' internal operating activities, cost structures, receivables collection practices, and review whether profit distortions are due to abnormal change of them. Sample of this study consists of 2,150firm-year data listed companies from 2002 to 2010. Empirical evidence shows that AMs and RMs are negatively related to credit rating. This result implies that credit analysts see through AMs and RMs in interpreting financial informations, that is to say, they discount credit rating in considering level of earnings management that consist of real activity and accrual earning management. This paper also finds that RMs are more negatively related to credit ratings than AMs. This result suggests that credit analysts don't take RMs into account in credit rating process as much as AMs.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.405-412
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• 2008

Six alkali-activated (AA) concrete mixes were tested to explore the significance and limitations of developing an environmental friendly concrete. Ground granulated blast-furnace slag and powder typed sodium silicate were selected as source material and an alkaline activator, respectively. The main parameter investigated was the replacement level of lightweight fine aggregate to the natural sand. Workability and mechanical properties of lightweight AA concrete were measured: the variation of slump with time, the rate of compressive strength development, the splitting tensile strength, the moduli of rupture and elasticity, the stress-strain relationship, the bond resistance and shrinkage strain. Test results showed that the compressive strength of lightweight AA concrete sharply decreased when the replacement level of lightweight fine aggregate exceeded 30%. In particular, the increase in the discontinuous grading of lightweight aggregate resulted in the deterioration of the mechanical properties of concrete tested. The measured properties of lightweight AA concrete were also compared, wherever possible, with the results obtained from the design equations specified in ACI 318-05 or EC 2, depending on the relevance, and the results predicted from the empirical equations proposed by Slate et al. for lightweight ordinary Portland cement concrete. The stress-strain curves of different concrete were compared with predictions obtained from the mathematical model proposed by Tasnimi. The measured mechanical properties of lightweight AA concrete generally showed little agreement with the predictions obtained from these equations.