• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.135-151
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• 2023

Using 3D asphalt pavement surface data, a deep and multiscale network named CrackNet-M is proposed in this paper for pixel-level crack detection for improvements in both accuracy and robustness. The CrackNet-M consists of four function-specific architectural modules: a central branch net (CBN), a crack map enhancement (CME) module, three pooling feature pyramids (PFP), and an output layer. The CBN maintains crack boundaries using no pooling reductions throughout all convolutional layers. The CME applies a pooling layer to enhance potential thin cracks for better continuity, consuming no data loss and attenuation when working jointly with CBN. The PFP modules implement direct down-sampling and pyramidal up-sampling with multiscale contexts specifically for the detection of thick cracks and exclusion of non-crack patterns. Finally, the output layer is optimized with a skip layer supervision technique proposed to further improve the network performance. Compared with traditional supervisions, the skip layer supervision brings about not only significant performance gains with respect to both accuracy and robustness but a faster convergence rate. CrackNet-M was trained on a total of 2,500 pixel-wise annotated 3D pavement images and finely scaled with another 200 images with full considerations on accuracy and efficiency. CrackNet-M can potentially achieve crack detection in real-time with a processing speed of 40 ms/image. The experimental results on 500 testing images demonstrate that CrackNet-M can effectively detect both thick and thin cracks from various pavement surfaces with a high level of Precision (94.28%), Recall (93.89%), and F-measure (94.04%). In addition, the proposed CrackNet-M compares favorably to other well-developed networks with respect to the detection of thin cracks as well as the removal of shoulder drop-offs.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.41-53
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• 2014

Optical fiber Brillouin sensor in a coil winding setup is proposed in this paper to measure the expansion deformation of a concrete column with a central rebar subjected to accelerated corrosion. The optical sensor monitored the whole dynamic corrosion process from initial deformation to final cracking. Experimental results show that Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (BOTDR) can accurately measure the strain values and identify the crack locations of the simulated reinforced concrete (RC) column. A theoretical model is used to calculate the RC corrosion expansive pressure and crack length. The results indicate that the measured strain and cracking history revealed the development of the steel bar corrosion inside the simulated RC column.

• 한국건설순환자원학회논문집
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.115-127
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• 2014

Addition of fibers in cement or cement concrete may be of current interest, but this is not a new idea or concept. Fibers of any material and shape play an important role in improving the strength and deformation characteristics of the cement matrix in which they are incorporated. The new concept and technology reveal that the engineering advantages of adding fibers in concrete may improve the fracture toughness, fatigue resistance, impact resistance, flexural strength, compressive strength, thermal crack resistance, rebound loss, and so on. The magnitude of the improvement depends upon both the amount and the type of fibers used. In this paper, locally available waste fibers such as coir fibers, sisal fibers and polypropylene fibers have incorporated in concrete with varying percentages and l/d ratio and their effect on compressive, split, flexural, bond and impact resistance have been reported.

• Journal of applied mathematics & informatics
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.59-69
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• 2001

The paper deals with the interaction between three Griffith cracks propagating under antiplane shear stress at the interface of two dissimilar infinite elastic half-spaces. The Fourier transform technique is used to reduce the elastodynamic problem to the solution of a set of integral equations which has been solved by using the finite Hilbert transform technique and Cooke’s result. The analytical expressions for the stress intensity factors at the crack tips are obtained. Numerical values of the interaction efect have been computed for and results show that interaction effects are either shielding or amplification depending on the location of each crack with respect to other and crack tip spacing. AMS Mathematics Subject Classification : 73M25.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• 제18권9호
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• pp.1500-1511
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• 2004

In this paper, the anti-plane transient response of a central crack normal to the interface between a piezoelectric ceramics and two same elastic materials is considered. The assumed crack surfaces are permeable. By virtue of integral transform methods, the electro elastic mixed boundary problems are formulated as two set of dual integral equations, which, in turn, are reduced to a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind in the Laplace transform domain. Time domain solutions are obtained by inverting Laplace domain solutions using a numerical scheme. Numerical values on the quasi-static stress intensity factor and the dynamic energy release rate are presented to show the dependences upon the geometry, material combination, electromechanical coupling coefficient and electric field.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.237-255
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• 2015

From the related engineering principles, analytical solutions for horizontal crack initiation and propagation on a coal panel floor-underlying strata interface due to coal panel excavation are derived in this paper. Two important concepts, namely the critical panel width of horizontal crack initiation on the panel floor-underlying strata interface and the critical panel width of vertical fracture (crack) initiation in the panel floor, have been presented. The resulting analytical solution indicates that: (1) the first criterion can be used to express the condition under which horizontal plane cracks (on the panel floor-underlying strata interface or in the panel floor because of delamination) due to the mining induced vertical stress will initiate and propagate; (2) the second criterion can be used to express the condition under which vertical plane cracks (in the panel floor) due to the mining induced horizontal stress will initiate and propagate; (3) this orthogonal set of horizontal and vertical plane cracks, once formed, will provide the necessary weak network for the flow of gas to inrush into the panel. Two characteristic equations are given to quantitatively estimate both the critical panel width of vertical fracture initiation in the panel floor and the critical panel width of horizontal crack initiation on the interface between the panel floor and its underlying strata. The significance of this study is to provide not only some theoretical bases for understanding the fundamental mechanism of a longwall floor gas inrush problem but also a benchmark solution for verifying any numerical methods that are used to deal with this kind of gas inrush problem.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.319-329
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• 2020

Structural damage to an arch dam is often of major concern and must be evaluated for probable rehabilitation to ensure safe, regular, normal operation. This evaluation is crucial to prevent any catastrophic or failure consequences for the life time of the dam. If specific major damage such as a large crack occurs to the dam body, the assessments will be necessary to determine the current level of safety and predict the resistance of the structure to various future loading such as earthquakes, etc. This study investigates the behavior of an arch dam cracked due to water pressure. Safety factors (SFs), of shear and compressive tractions were calculated at the surfaces of the contraction joints and the cracks. The results indicated that for cracking with an extension depth of half the thickness of the dam body, for both cases of penetration and non-penetration of water load into the cracks, SFs only slightly reduces. However, in case of increasing the depth of crack extension into the entire thickness of the dam body, the friction angle of the cracked surface is crucial; however, if it reduces, the normal loading SFs of stresses and joints tractions reduce significantly.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제46권6호
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• pp.869-874
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• 2014

It was discovered in a Korean PWR that an extensive number of very short and shallow cracks in the SG tubes were undetectable by eddy current in-service-inspection because of the masking effect of sludge deposits. Axial stress corrosion cracks at the outside diameter of the steam generator tubes near the line contacts with the tube support plates are the major concern among the six identical Korean nuclear power plants having CE-type steam generators with Alloy 600 high temperature mill annealed tubes, HU3&4 and HB3~6. The tubes in HB3&4 have a less susceptible microstructure so that the onset of ODSCC was substantially delayed compared to HU3&4 whose tubes are most susceptible to ODSCC among the six units. The numbers of cracks detected by the eddy current inspection jumped drastically after the steam generators of HB4 were chemically cleaned. The purpose of the chemical cleaning was to mitigate stress corrosion cracking by removing the heavy sludge deposit, since a corrosive environment is formed in the occluded region under the sludge deposit. SGCC also enhances the detection capability of the eddy current inspection at the same time. Measurement of the size of each crack using the motorized rotating pancake coil probe indicated that the cracks in HB4 were shorter and substantially shallower than the cracks in HU3&4. It is believed that the cracks were shorter and shallower because the microstructure of the tubes in HB4 is less susceptible to ODSCC. It was readily understood from the size distribution of the cracks and the quantitative information available on the probability of detection that most cracks in HB4 had been undetected until the steam generators were chemically cleaned.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.102-114
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• 2015

Background: A technique developed to produce artificial intergranular stress corrosion cracks in structural components was applied to thick, forged alloy 600 base and alloy 182 weld metals for use in the qualification of nondestructive examination techniques for welded components in nuclear power plants. Methods: An externally controlled procedure was demonstrated to produce intergranular stress corrosion cracks that are comparable to service-induced cracks in both the base and weld metals. During the process of crack generation, an online direct current potential drop method using array probes was used to measure and monitor the sizes and shapes of the cracks. Results: A microstructural characterization of the produced cracks revealed realistic conformation of the crack faces unlike those in machined notches produced by an electrodischarge machine or simple fatigue loading using a universal testing machine. Conclusion: A comparison with a destructive metallographic examination showed that the characteristics, orientations, and sizes of the intergranular cracks produced in this study are highly reproducible.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권12호
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• pp.4647-4658
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• 2023

In this paper, elastic-plastic fracture mechanics analysis is performed to determine the critical crack sizes of the multipurpose canister (MPC) manufactured using austenitic stainless steel under dynamic loading conditions that simulate drop accidents. Firstly, dynamic finite element (FE) analysis is performed using Abaqus v.2018 with the KORAD (Korea Radioactive Waste Agency)-21 model under two drop accident conditions. Through the FE analysis, critical locations and through-thickness stress distributions in the MPC are identified, where the maximum plastic strain occurs during impact loadings. Then, the evaluation using the failure assessment diagram (FAD) is performed by postulating an external surface crack at the critical location to determine the critical crack depth. It is found that, for the drop cases considered in this paper, the principal failure mechanism for the circumferential surface crack is found to be the plastic collapse due to dominant high bending axial stress in the thickness. For axial cracks, the plastic collapse is also the dominant failure mechanism due to high membrane hoop stress, followed by the ductile tearing analysis. When incorporating the strain rate effect on yield strength and fracture toughness, the critical crack depth increases from 10 to 20%.