• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.689-693
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• 2023

Domestic bridges with a service life of more than 30 years are expected to account for approximately 54% of all bridges within the next 10 years. As bridges rapidly deteriorate, it is necessary to establish an appropriate maintenance plan. Recent domestic and international research have focused on the integration of BIM to digitize bridge maintenance information and then enhance accessibility and usability of the information. Accordingly, this study developed a BIM-FEM interoperability algorithm for bridge decks to convert maintenance information into data and efficiently manage the history of maintenance. After creating an initial crack BIM based on an exterior damage map, bridge specification and damage information were linked to a numerical analysis that performs damage analysis considering damage scenarios and design loads. The spread of cracks obtained from the analysis results were updated into the BIM. Based on the damage spread information on the BIM, an automated technology was also developed to assess both the current and future condition ratings of the bridge deck. This approach can enable an efficient maintenance of the deck using the history data from bridge inspection and diagnosis as well as future information on cracks and defects. The expected early detection and prevention would ultimately improve the lifespan and safety of bridges.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.62-72
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• 2023

The aging of plant structures due to industrialization in the 1970s has increased the demand for blast demolition. While blasting can reduce exposure to environmental pollution by shortening the demolition period, improper blasting design and construction plans pose significant safety risks. Thus, it is vital to consider optimal blasting demolition conditions and other factors through collapse behavior simulation. This study utilizes a 3-D combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM) code-based 3-D DFPA to simulate the collapse of a chimney structure in a thermal power plant in Seocheon, South Korea. The collapse behavior from the numerical simulation is compared to the actual structure collapse, and the numerical simulation result presents good agreement with the actual building demolition. Additionally, various numerical simulations have been conducted on the chimney models to analyze the impact of the duct size in the pre-weakening area. The no-duct, duct, and double-area duct models were compared in terms of crack pattern and history of Z-axis displacement. The findings show that the elapse-time for demolition decreases as the area of the duct increases, causing collapse to occur quickly by increasing the load-bearing area.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.113-119
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• 2023

Most infrastructure structures were completed during periods of economic growth. The number of infrastructure structures reaching their lifespan is increasing, and the proportion of old structures is gradually increasing. The functions and performance of these structures at the time of design may deteriorate and may even lead to safety accidents. To prevent this repercussion, accurate inspection and appropriate repair are requisite. To this end, demand is increasing for computer vision and deep learning technology to accurately detect even minute cracks. However, deep learning algorithms require a large number of training data. In particular, label images indicating the location of cracks in the image are required. To secure a large number of those label images, a lot of labor and time are consumed. To reduce these costs as well as increase detection accuracy, this study proposed a learning structure based on mean teacher method. This learning structure was trained on a dataset of 900 labeled image dataset and 3000 unlabeled image dataset. The crack detection network model was evaluated on over 300 labeled image dataset, and the detection accuracy recorded a mean intersection over union of 89.23% and an F1 score of 89.12%. Through this experiment, it was confirmed that detection performance was improved compared to supervised learning. It is expected that this proposed method will be used in the future to reduce the cost required to secure label images.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.19-26
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• 2023

Earthquakes are one of the most important disasters affecting underground structures. Urban gas underground pipes may cause safety problems of structures in the event of an earthquake. Since Korea began digital observation, the number of earthquakes has been steadily increasing. The seismic design standard for urban gas pipes was established in 2008, but it is difficult to estimate the impact of pipes in the event of an earthquake based on the installation of pipes. In this study, structural analysis was performed on PE (polyethylene pipe) pipes and PLP (polyethylene coated steel pipe) pipes, which are mainly used as buried pipes in Korea, according to environmental and pipe variables in the event of an earthquake. This study sought to find the variables of the most vulnerable buried pipe by modeling pipes through Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) and generating displacement on the ground. Through this study, it was confirmed that the larger the elastic modulus of the soil, the deeper the buried depth, the smaller the tube diameter, and the higher the pressure, the more PLP pipes are affected by earthquakes than PE. Based on these results, the vulnerable points of buried urban gas pipes are inferred and used for special inspections of buried pipes in the event of an earthquake.

• Composites Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2024

The development of transportation methods has improved human transportation convenience and made it possible to expand the travel radius of people with disabilities who have difficulty moving. However, in the case of WAV (wheelchair Accessible Vehicle), the safety that may occur in a vehicle accident is still lower than that of regular passenger seats. In particular, in the case of a rear-end collision that may occur in a defenseless situation, it can cause fatal neck injuries to disabled passengers. Therefore, a more detailed design plan must be reflected in the headrest to be applied to WAV. In this study, a multi-cell headrest was proposed to implement local compression characteristic distribution of the headrest during rear-end collision of WAV. Afterwards, a correlation analysis was performed between the passenger's NIC (Neck Injury Criterion) and impact energy absorption using the data set construction through analysis and the clustering results using k-means clustering. As a result of clustering, it was confirmed that data clusters with similar characteristics were formed, and a correlation analysis between NIC and impact energy absorption through the characteristics of each cluster was performed. As a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that the softer the cell compression characteristics in Mid3 and Mid6, the more impact energy absorption increases, and the harder the cell compression characteristics in Front2, Mid3, and Mid6, the more effective it is in reducing NIC.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.137-145
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• 2024

Recently, there has been an increase in the use of Automatic Identification Systems. Class A AIS is used for ships engaged in international voyages, while Class B AIS is utilized for smaller vessels navigating domestic coastlines. AtoN AIS is used for aids to navigation, AIS is employed for search and rescue aircraft, and AIS-SART is widely used worldwide. Accordingly, in 2022, the Maritime Safety Committee(MSC) of the International Maritime Organization(IMO) revised the performance standards for the satellite emergency positioning radio beacon(EP IRB) to include AIS signals along with 121.5 MHz for aircraft, which has been used as a homing signal. It was recommended to use together as a homing signal, and from July 1, 2022, it was decided that AIS-EP IRB that satisfies the revised performance standards will replace the existing EP IRB. Consequently, starting from July 1, 2022, it was decided that AIS-EPIRB, which meets the revised performance standards, will replace the existing EP IRB. This paper aims to verify the feasibility of implementing AIS-EPIRB, which has not yet been developed domestically. To achieve this, a dedicated chipset for AIS was used to additionally implement frequency generation of 161.975 MHz and 162.025 MHz and GMSK modulation to satisfy the requirements.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.231-247
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• 2024

In the field of high-level radioactive waste disposal targeting deep rock environments, hydraulic characteristic information serves as the most important key factor in selecting relevant disposal sites, detailed design of disposal facilities, derivation of optimal construction plans, and safety evaluation during operation. Since various rock types are mixed and distributed in a small area in Korea, it is important to conduct preliminary work to analyze the hydrogeological characteristics of rock aquifers for various rock types and compile the resulting data into a database. In this paper, we obtained hydraulic conductivity data, which is the most representative field hydraulic characteristic of a high-depth volcanic bedrock aquifer, and also analyzed and evaluated the field data. To acquire field data, we used a high-performance hydraulic testing system developed in-house and applied standardized test methods and investigation procedures. In the process of hydraulic characteristic data analysis, hydraulic conductivity values were obtained for each depth, and the pattern of groundwater flow through permeable rock joints located in the test section was also evaluated. It is expected that the series of data acquisition methods, procedures, and analysis results proposed in this report can be used to build a database of hydraulic characteristics data for high-depth rock aquifers in Korea. In addition, it is expected that it will play a role in improving technical know-how to be applied to research on hydraulic characteristic according to various bedrock types in the future.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.221-231
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• 2024

The aim of this study was to enhance the safety and care of mental health for seafarer working in passenger ship workspaces. Brightness, color values, and color distribution were investigated with issues and improvement ways identified through seafarers' interviews. Firstly, previous studies, references, current policy, regulations, and accident case studies were reviewed. Color compositions of wheelhouse and engine room of M Ship were then surveyed in the field. Color values of each space were analyzed using a colorimeter. Colormeter analysis of brightness and color measurements in the wheelhouse and engine areas indicated that ceilings, walls, and floors were generally dark, with the engine area being very dark. Regarding color, green and blue were distributed in the ceiling of the wheelhouse and engine area, while red and blue were in the walls and floors of the wheelhouse and engine area. According to interviews with seafarers currently working at engine rooms, they responded about their experience of near miss incidents due to a decrepit indoor environment, a dark working environment, slippery and bright flooring, and stairs that were not suitable for domestic users. Thus, when installing lighting in the future, the brightness of the space should be improved by distinguishing between night and day. A lighting plan considering the location of lighting, level of shadow formation and contrast, reflectance of the facility, glare, color of light, floor color plan, and material selection is needed. A facility design suitable for domestic users is also needed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.281-298
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• 2024

Stainless steel bolts (SSB) are increasingly utilized in bolted steel connections due to their good mechanical performance and excellent corrosion resistance. Fire accidents, which commonly occur in engineering scenarios, pose a significant threat to the safety of steel frames. The post-fire behavior of SSB has a significant influence on the structural integrity of steel frames, and neglecting the effect of temperature can lead to serious accidents in engineering. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the performance of SSB at elevated temperatures and their residual strength after a fire incident. To investigate the mechanical behavior of SSB after fire, 114 bolts with grades A4-70 and A4-80, manufactured from 316L austenitic stainless steel, were subjected to elevated temperatures ranging from 20℃ to 1200℃. Two different cooling methods commonly employed in engineering, namely cooling at ambient temperatures (air cooling) and cooling in water (water cooling), were used to cool the bolts. Tensile tests were performed to examine the influence of elevated temperatures and cooling methods on the mechanical behavior of SSB. The results indicate that the temperature does not significantly affect the Young's modulus and the ultimate strength of SSB. Up to 500℃, the yield strength increases with temperature, but this trend reverses when the temperature exceeds 500℃. In contrast, the ultimate strain shows the opposite trend. The strain hardening exponent is not significantly influenced by the temperature until it reaches 500℃. The cooling methods employed have an insignificant impact on the performance of SSB. When compared to high-strength bolts, 316L austenitic SSB demonstrate superior fire resistance. Design models for the post-fire mechanical behavior of 316L austenitic SSB, encompassing parameters such as the elasticity modulus, yield strength, ultimate strength, ultimate strain, and strain hardening exponent, are proposed, and a more precise stress-strain model is recommended to predict the mechanical behavior of 316L austenitic SSB after a fire incident.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.249-262
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• 2024

Retaining walls are widely used in the construction of underground structures. This study reviews the stability of the high-strength joint buried pile method at a site in Korea. [Consider giving details of the location.] The method is assessed by considering the amount of ground settlement, as calculated by finite element analysis and measured at the site. Comparison of the measured and numerical results confirmed the method's stability and field applicability. Settlement of 13.42~13.65 mm was calculated for seven cross-sections [The Abstract should be comprehensible without reference to the main text. The labels A-A' to G-G' should not be introduced here without explanation.] using numerical analysis, and the measured settlement reached a maximum of 2.00 mm. The observed differences and variations [Please state what differed/varied.] did not exceed the design expectations in any section. Instruments installed at the back of the excavation area were used to assess the conditions. An underground gradient meter recorded a cumulative horizontal displacement of between -0.40 and 0.60 mm, and an underground water meter recorded slight displacements of between -0.21 and 0.28 m compared with the initial measurements. A surface settlement meter observed very little movement, with a maximum of -2.00 mm compared with the initial measurement, thereby confirming the establishment of a stable state within the management criteria.