• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.455-466
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• 2022

Despite the considerable lateral stiffness and strength of the Concentrically Braced Frame (CBF), it suffers from low ductility and low seismic dissipating energy capacity. The buckling of the diagonal members of the CBF systems under cyclic loading ended up to the shortcoming against seismic loading. Comprehensive researches have been performing to achieve helpful approaches to prevent the buckling of the diagonal member. Among the recommended ideas, metallic damper revealed a better success than other ideas to enhance the behavior of CBFs. While metallic dampers improve the behavior of the CBF system, they increase constructional costs. Therefore, in this paper, a new steel damper with flexural mechanism is proposed, which is investigated experimentally and numerically. Also, a parametrical revision was carried out to evaluate the effect of thickness, slenderness ratio, angle of the main plate, and height of the main plates on the proposed damper. For the parametrical study, 45 finite element models were analyzed and considered. Experimental results, as well as the numerical results, indicated that the proposed damper enjoys a stable hysteresis loop without any degradation up to a high rotation equal to around 31% that is significantly considerable. Moreover, it showed a suitable performance in case of ductility and energy dissipating. Besides, the necessary formulas to design the damper, the required relations were proposed to design the elements outside the damper to ensure the damper acts as a ductile fuse.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.2
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• pp.269-283
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• 2022

In this paper, a particular type of all-steel HSS brace members with a locally reduced cross-sectional area was experimentally and numerically investigated. The brace member was strengthened against local buckling with inner and outer boxes in the reduced area. Four single-span braced frames were tested under cyclic lateral loadings. Specimens included a simple steel frame with a conventional box-shaped brace and three other all-steel reduced section buckling-restrained braces. After conducting the experimental program, numerical models of the proposed brace were developed and verified with experimental results. Then the length of the proposed fuse was increased and its effect on the cyclic behavior of the brace was investigated numerically. Eventually, the brace was detailed with a fuse-to-brace length of 30%, as well as the cross-sectional area of the fuse-to-brace of 30%, and the cyclic behavior of the system was studied numerically. The study showed that the proposed brace is stable up to a 2% drift ratio, and the plastic cumulative deformation requirement of AISC (2016) is easily achieved. The proposed brace has sufficient ductility and stability and is lighter, as well as easier to be fabricated, compared to the conventional mortar-filled BRB and all-steel BRB.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2024

Background: Using wearable passive back-support exoskeletons in workplace has attracted attention as devices that support the posture of workers, enhance their physical capabilities, and reduce physical risk factors. Objects: This study aimed to investigate the effect of a wearable passive back-support exoskeleton on the activity of the erector spinae muscles during lifting tasks at various heights. Methods: Twenty healthy adult males were selected as subjects. Electromyography (EMG) was used to assess the activity of the erector spinae muscles while performing lifting tasks at three distinct heights (30, 40, and 50 cm), with and without the application of the Wearable Passive Back Support Exoskeleton. EMG data were gathered before and after the application of the orthosis. Results: The use of the Wearable Passive Back Support Exoskeleton resulted in a significant decrease in muscle activity when lifting a 10 kg object from heights of 30 and 40 cm (p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a significant reduction in muscle activity when lifting from a height of 50 cm compared with that at lower heights (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The use of a wearable passive back-support exoskeleton led to a decrease in the activity of the erector spinae muscles during lifting tasks, irrespective of the object's height. Our results suggest that the orthosis we tested may help decrease risk of lower back injuries during lifting.

• Journal of Wind Energy
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.29-42
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• 2023

In this study, research and empirical cases of floating offshore wind turbine systems with a tension-leg platform are investigated, and hydrodynamic and structural characteristics according to platform shapes and characteristics during transportation and installation are confirmed. Most platforms are composed of pontoons or corner columns, and these are mainly located below the waterline to minimize the impact of breaking waves and supplement the lack of buoyancy of the center column. These pontoons and corner columns are designed with a simple shape to reduce manufacturing and assembly costs, and some platforms additionally have reinforcements such as braces to improve structural strength. Most of the systems are assembled in the yard and then moved by tugboat and installed, and some platforms have been developed with a dedicated barge for simultaneous assembly, transportation and installation. In this study, we intend to secure the basic data necessary for the design, transportation, and installation procedures of floating offshore wind turbine systems with a tension-leg platform.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.106-114
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• 2006

This study proposed the applicability of inverse stiffness method on the seismic design for steel frame with buckling restrained braces and the design results were compared with former research's. The concept of this method is simple and efficient. Furthermore it is able to reflect the high mode's effect and control the ductility factors of each story individually. Design results using the proposed method showed that according to increase of the given target drift, the areas of brace generally decreased but partially increased in some stories of the tall structure with very large ductility. And the post yield stiffness ratio's variation had more effect on the design results in the small post yield stiffness ratio.

• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.164-167
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• 2000

The barium rich region of the Y-Ba-Cu-O-C system includes a tetragonal perovskite-like phase, which possesses a wide homogeneity region toward yttrium, copper and carbonate ion on the one hand, and toward oxygen, on the other hand. Accounting for vacancies ($\square$-vacancy) this phase could be described by the general formula per unit cell: {Ba$_8$}[Y$_{3-z}$Cu$_{5-x}$$(CO_3)_n$ $\square$$_{x+x-n}$]O$_{y{\pm}{\delta}y}$ (*). Here, cube-octahedral sites are represented in braces, while quasioctahedral ones with proper octahedral (Y, Cul), square (Cu2) and triangular (CO$_3$) configuration are shown in square brackets. The formula (*) was confirmed by full-profile Rietveld refinement based on X-ray diffraction data of YBa$_{5}$Cu$_2$O$_y$ (1-5-2 phase). Homogeneity region limits of the phase (*) at 96$0^{\circ}C$ in air were determined to be -0.33$\leq$x$\leq$1.80, 0.33$\leq$z$\leq$2.00, 0$\leq$n$\leq$3.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.6-15
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• 2020

This study examined the structural behaviors and ultimate loads of assembled system scaffolds by load tests. Considering the number of bay and bracing installation, four specimens were tested. The bays were divided into 1 bay and 2 bays, with and without the bracing member installed. Failure modes and horizontal displacements show that the whole column buckled without showing no point of inflection in the column, regardless of whether or not braces were installed. Thus, the current design method of selecting the vertical spacing between the horizontal members of the system scaffold as the effective buckling length underestimates the effective buckling length. In case of 1 bay specimens, the ultimate loads between specimens with and with bracing members are similar. However, in case of 2 bay specimens, the specimen with bracing members shows the increased ultimate load of 36% compared with that without bracing members. In addition, as the number of bays in the system scaffold increases, the ultimate load of the unit vertical column increases in case of the specimen with bracing installation. However, in the specimen without bracing members, the ultimate load of the unit column reduces with the increment of the number of bays due to the torsional buckling. Therefore, it is essential to install bracing members to increase the whole strength of system scaffolds and the ultimate load of the unit column.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.301-305
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• 2020

Background: Radiographic modalities have been commonly used to evaluate pectus carinatum (PC), and compressive orthotic bracing is the most widely accepted treatment method. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of 3-dimensional (3D) body surface scanning as an alternative modality for the evaluation of PC. Methods: The medical records of 63 patients with PC who were treated with compressive orthotic bracing therapy between July 2017 and February 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Using both 2-view chest radiography (posteroanterior and lateral view) and 3D body scanning, the height of maximal protrusion of the chest wall was measured both before and after 2 weeks of bracing therapy. The difference between the pre- and post-treatment measurements was calculated for both modalities, and these differences were compared and analyzed. Results: Based on the comparison between the pre- and post-treatment radiographs, bracing therapy produced favorable outcomes in all patients (p<0.001). The measurements obtained via 3D scanning were strongly correlated with those obtained via chest radiography (r=0.60). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, 3D body surface scanning appears to be an effective, radiation-free, and simple method for the post-treatment follow-up evaluation of PC, and thus can be considered an alternative to radiography.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.801-812
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• 2016

In an actual design, none of the structures with shear behaviors will be designed for torsional moments. Any failure or damages to roofs, infills, shear walls, and braces caused by an earthquake, will inevitably result in relocation of center of mass and rigidity of the structure. With these changes, the dynamic characteristics of structure could be changed during an earthquake at any moment. The main objective of this paper is to obtain the relationship between time-varying eccentricity of load and corner lateral displacement. In this study, various methods have been used to determine the structural response for time-varying lateral corner displacement. As will be seen below, some of the structural calculation methods result in a significant deviation from the actual results, although these methods include the interaction effects of modes. Controlling the lateral displacement of structure can be performed in different ways such as, passive dampers, friction dampers, semi-active systems including the MR damper and active Systems. Selecting and locating these control systems is very important to bring the maximum safety with minimum cost into the structure. According to this study will be show the relation between the corner lateral displacements of structure and time-varying eccentricity by different kind of methods during an earthquake. This study will show that the response of the structure at the corners due to an earthquake can be very destructive and because of changing the eccentricity of load, calculating the maximum possible response of system can be carried out by this method. Finally, some kind of systems must be used for controlling these displacements. The results shows that, the CQC, DSC and exact methods is comply each other but the results of Vanmark method is not comfortable for these kind of buildings.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.393-407
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• 2020

The braced tube frame system, a combination of perimeter frame and bracing frame, is one of the systems used in tall buildings. Due to the implementation of this system in tall buildings and the high rigidity resulting from the use of general bracing, providing proper ductility while maintaining the strength of the structure when exposing to lateral forces is essential. Also, the high stress at the connection of the beam to the column may cause a sudden failure in the region before reaching the required ductility. The use of Reduced Beam Section connection (RBS connection) by focusing stress in a region away from beam to column connection is a suitable solution to the problem. Because of the fact that RBS connections are usually used in moment frames and not tested in tall buildings with braced tube frames, they should be investigated. Therefore, in this research, three tall buildings in height ranges of 20, 25 and 30 floors were modeled and designed by SAP2000 software, and then a frame in each building was modeled in PERFORM-3D software under two RBS-free system and RBS-based system. Nonlinear time history dynamic analysis is used for each frame under Manjil, Tabas and Northridge excitations. The results of the Comparison between RBS-free and RBS-based systems show that the RBS connections increased the absorbed energy level by reducing the stiffness and increasing the ductility in the beams and structural system. Also, by increasing the involvement of the beams in absorbing energy, the columns and braces absorb less energy.