• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.115-132
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• 2023

The present study experimentally and analytically investigates the effect of tensile reinforcement ratio and arrangement on the behavior of FRP strengthened reinforced concrete (RC) beams. The experimental part of the program was comprised of 8 RC beams that were tested under four-point bending. Results have shown that by keeping the total cross-section area of tensile reinforcing bars constant, in specimens with a low reinforcement ratio, increasing the number and decreasing the diameter of bars in the section lead to 21% and 29% increase in the load-carrying capacity of specimens made with normal and high compressive strength, respectively. In specimens with high reinforcement ratio, a different behavior was observed. Furthermore, the accuracy of the existing code provisions and analytical models in predicting the load-carrying capacity of the FRP strengthened beams failed by premature debonding mode were evaluated. Herein, a model is proposed which considers the tensile reinforcement ratio (as opposed to code provisions) to achieve more accurate results for calculating the load carrying capacity of FRP strengthened RC beams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.211-220
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• 2023

Welded hollow spherical joints are commonly used joints in space grid structures. An internal stiffener is generally adopted to strengthen the joints when large hollow spheres are used. To further strengthen it, external stiffeners can be used at the same time. In this study, axial compression tests are conducted on four full-scale 550 mm spherical joints. The failure modes and strengths of the tested joints are investigated. It shows that the external stiffeners are able to increase the strength of the joint up to 25%. A numerical model for large spherical joints with stiffeners is established and verified against the experimental results. Parametric studies are executed considering six main design factors using the verified model. It is found that the strength of the spherical joint increases as the thickness, height and number of the external stiffeners increase, and the hollow sphere's diameter has a neglectable effect on the enhancement caused by the external stiffeners. Based on the experimental and numerical results, a practical formula for the compressive bearing capacity of large welded hollow spherical joints with both internal and external stiffeners is proposed. The proposed formula gives a conservative prediction on the compressive capacity of large welded hollow spherical joints with both internal and external stiffeners.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.87-92
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• 2023

As the elderly population increases, the number of patients with various joint diseases, including degenerative arthritis, is steadily increasing. CPM medical devices are needed to effectively treat degenerative arthritis that is common in the elderly population. Domestic CPM medical devices have limited functions and are highly dependent on imports for expensive imported medical devices. To solve this problem, we designed a ROM measurement function using a current sensor that is not present in existing composite joint CPM medical devices. The algorithm was designed using the fact that the force caused by joint stiffness greatly increases the current flowing through the DC motor. In addition, the need for digital healthcare in the medical field is gradually expanding as the proportion of chronically ill patients increases due to the spread of the non-face-to-face economy due to COVID-19 and the aging population. Therefore, this paper aims to improve the performance of CPM medical devices by allowing real-time confirmation of rehabilitation exercise information and operation range measurement results in accordance with digital healthcare trends through a Bluetooth application developed as an Android studio.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.633-643
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• 2023

In this study, the natural frequencies of Functional Graded Materials (FGM) plates are predicted using Artificial Neural Network (ANN). A model based on Third-order Shear Deformation Theory (TSDT) and FEM is used to train the ANN model. Different training methods are tested to simulate input and output dependency. As this is a parametric model, several architectures and optimization algorithms were tested. The proposed model allows us to minimize the CPU time to evaluate candidate material properties for FGM plate material selection and demonstrate their influence on dynamic behavior. Consequently, the time required for the FGM design process (candidate materials for material selection) and the geometric optimization of the FGM structure would remain reasonable. The ANN model can help industries to produce FGM plates with good mechanical properties of the selected materials. I addition, this model can be used to directly predict vibration behavior by testing a large number of FGM plates, representing all possible combinations of metals and ceramics in today's industry, without having to solve any eigenvalue problems.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.217-235
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• 2024

Concrete-filled steel tubes (CFSTs) nowadays are widely used as the main parts of momentous structures, and its connection has gained increasing attention as the complexity in configuration and load transfer mechanism. This paper proposes a novel CFST pier-to-footing incorporating tube-confined RC encasement. Such an innovative approach offers several benefits, including expedited on-site assembly, effective confinement, and collision resistance and corrosion resistance. The seismic behavior of such CFST pier-to-footing connection was studied by testing eight specimens under quasi-static cyclic lateral load. In the experimental research, the influences on the seismic behavior and the order of plastic hinge formation were discussed in detail by changing the footing height, axial compression ratio, number and length of anchored bars, and type of confining tube. All the specimens showed sufficient ductility and energy dissipation, without significant strength degradation. There is no obvious failure in the confined footing, while local buckling can be found in the critical section of the pier. It suggests that the footing provides satisfactory strength protection for the connection.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.417-440
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• 2024

Artificial neural networks (ANN) have been the focus of several studies when it comes to evaluating the pile's bearing capacity. Nonetheless, the principal drawbacks of employing this method are the sluggish rate of convergence and the constraints of ANN in locating global minima. The current work aimed to build four ANN-based prediction models enhanced with methods from the black hole algorithm (BHA), league championship algorithm (LCA), shuffled complex evolution (SCE), and symbiotic organisms search (SOS) to estimate the carrying capacity of piles in cold climates. To provide the crucial dataset required to build the model, fifty-eight concrete pile experiments were conducted. The pile geometrical properties, internal friction angle 𝛗 shaft, internal friction angle 𝛗 tip, pile length, pile area, and vertical effective stress were established as the network inputs, and the BHA, LCA, SCE, and SOS-based ANN models were set up to provide the pile bearing capacity as the output. Following a sensitivity analysis to determine the optimal BHA, LCA, SCE, and SOS parameters and a train and test procedure to determine the optimal network architecture or the number of hidden nodes, the best prediction approach was selected. The outcomes show a good agreement between the measured bearing capabilities and the pile bearing capacities forecasted by SCE-MLP. The testing dataset's respective mean square error and coefficient of determination, which are 0.91846 and 391.1539, indicate that using the SCE-MLP approach as a practical, efficient, and highly reliable technique to forecast the pile's bearing capacity is advantageous.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.583-594
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• 2024

In this paper, a Guided Simulated Annealing (GSA) algorithm is presented to optimize 2D and 3D steel frames against Progressive Collapse. Considering the nature of structural optimization problems, a number of restrictions and improvements have been applied to the decision mechanisms of the algorithm without harming the randomness. With these improvements, the algorithm aims to focus relatively on the flawed variables of the analyzed frame. Besides that, it is intended to be more rational by instituting structural constraints on the sections to be selected as variables. In addition to the LRFD restrictions, the alternate path method with nonlinear dynamic procedure is used to assess the risk of progressive collapse, as specified in the US Department of Defense United Facilities Criteria (UFC) Design of Buildings to Resist Progressive Collapse. The entire optimization procedure was carried out on a C# software that supports parallel processing developed by the authors, and the frames were analyzed in SAP2000 using OAPI. Time history analyses of the removal scenarios are distributed to the processor cores in order to reduce computational time. The GSA produced 3% lighter structure weights than the SA (Simulated Annealing) and 4% lighter structure weights than the GA (Genetic Algorithm) for the 2D steel frame. For the 3D model, the GSA obtained 3% lighter results than the SA. Furthermore, it is clear that the UFC and LRFD requirements differ when the acceptance criteria are examined. It has been observed that the moment capacity of the entire frame is critical when designing according to UFC.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.557-569
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• 2024

Nonlinear internal modals interactions analysis of axially functionally graded nanorods is evaluated on the basis of nonlocal elasticity theory and Rayleigh beam model for the first time. Functionally graded materials can be determined as nonhomogeneous composites which are obtained by combining of two various materials in order to get a new ideal material. In this research, material properties of nanorods are supposed to be calmly varied along the axial direction. Hamilton's principle is used to derive the equations with consideration of Von-Kármán's geometrically nonlinearity. Harmonic Differential Quadrature (HDQ) and Multiple Scale (MS) solution techniques are used to derive an approximate-analytic solution to the linear and nonlinear free axial vibration problem of non-classical nanorods for clamped-clamped and clamped-free boundary conditions. A parametric study is carried out to indicate the effects of index of AFG, aspect ratio, mode number, internal resonances and nonlinear amplitude on nonlinear nonlocal frequencies of axially functionally graded nanorods. Also, the effects of nonlocal and nonlinear coefficients and AFG index on relationships of internal resonances have been investigated. The presented theatrical-semi analytical model has the ability to predict very suitable results for extracting the internal modal interactions in the AFG nanorod.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.446-454
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• 2017

Recently, there have been many studies on bulk-fill resin composites. However, studies on the proper materials for pediatric patients are rare. The aim of this study was to compare the cavity wall adaptation of bulk-fill resin composites with conventional resin composite in class II cavities of primary molars using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT). Standardized class II slot cavities were prepared in 80 exfoliated primary molars and randomly divided into 4 groups. The control group was restored with conventional resin composite, Filtek Z-350 XT (FZ), and the three groups were restored with bulk-fill resin composites, Filtek bulk-fill posterior (FB), Tetric N-Ceram Bulk Fill (TNC), Filtek bulk-fill flowable (FBF). All specimens were thermocycled and then immersed in 50% silver nitrate ($AgNO_3$) solution. Micro-CT was used to measure the penetration volume of the total silver nitrate and the degree of cervical marginal leakage and the number, size, and position of the voids were evaluated. The results revealed that the volume of silver nitrate were significantly different between FB and FZ (p < 0.05). The results also revealed that the penetration length of silver nitrate FBF showed statistically lower than the FZ and FB (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups in number and size of voids. In conventional resin composite, most of the voids were present inside the restoration (83.3%), but the voids in the bulk-fill resin composites incidence were higher in the gingivoaxial angle. The cavity wall adaptation demonstrated in class II restorations of primary molar by new bulk fill resin composites was similar to conventional incremental technique. Bulk-fill resin composites might be an clinical option for a faster restoration in deciduous teeth.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.31-39
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• 2021

In this study, the fiber blending ratio and strain rate effect on the tensile properties synergy effect of hybrid fiber reinforced cement composite was evaluated. Hooked steel fiber(HSF) and smooth steel fiber(SSF) were used for reinforcing fiber. The fiber blending ratio of HSF+SSF were 1.5+0.5, 1.0+1.0 and 0.5+1.5vol.%. As a results, in the cement composite(HSF2.0) reinforced with HSF, as the strain rate increases, the tensile stress sharply decreased after the peak stress because of the decrease in the number of straightened pull-out fibers by increase of micro cracks in the matrix around HSF. When 0.5 vol.% of SSF was mixed, the micro cracks was effectively controlled at the static rate, but it was not effective in controlling micro cracks and improving the pull-out resistance of HSF at the high rate. On the other hand, the specimen(HSF1.0SSF1.0) in which 1.0vol.% HSF and 1.0vol.% SSF were mixed, each fibers controls against micro and macro cracks, and SSF improves the pull-out resistance of HSF effectively. Thus, the fiber blending effect of the strain capacity and energy absorption capacity was significantly increased at the high rate, and it showed the highest dynamic increase factor of the tensile strength, strain capacity and peak toughness. On the other hand, the incorporation of 1.5 vol.% SSF increases the number of fibers in the matrix and improves the pull-out resistance of HSF, resulting in the highest fiber blending effect of tensile strength and softening toughness. But as a low volume fraction of HSF which controlling macro crack, it was not effective for synergy of strain capacity and peak toughness.