• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.321-326
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• 2010

A method that can decide the existence and the severeness of flaws in ceramic materials through the use of non-destructive testing by image processing techniques, is proposed in this paper. The edges of the acquired image are first extracted using Sobel mask and the regions of the image are clustered using another mask after that. Histogram stretching is applied to each of the regions to enhance the image region-wise and objects are extracted by an edge following algorithm. Morphological information is incorporated to remove noise and detect flawed regions. The proposed method can detect flaws in the acquired images and the experimental results also supports that.

• Korean System Dynamics Review
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.31-53
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• 2013

This article deals with a Causal-Loop analysis of the characteristics of Ouroboros effects. The meaning of the effects is that solutions to problems are usually intended as final fixes, but more often than not, while solving one problem, they generate more problems. It means 'to worsen through attempts to make better.' The Ouroboros effects are very dangerous because they are regarded as a kind of self-destructive mechanisms. While existing researchers recognize the risks of the effects, they are not able to solve the systematic problem but only to describe the symptom. Such a way to deal with the effects results in difficulty to clarify the cause-and-effect relationship within the system. Thus the authors are focusing on explaining the effects by SD (System Dynamics), which are considered as the sole methodology to do effectively so far since SD is a great tool to discover structural causes. To solve the self-destructive problem of the effects, the authors analyze the characteristics of several cases of the effects in elaborating the CLD (Causal Loop Diagram) for each case. The analysis reveals the structural characteristics of the effects and how to correct them towards maintaining the sustainability of systems.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.1753-1761
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• 2014

Due to the inherent inhomogeneous and anisotropy nature of the composite materials, the detection of internal defects in these materials with non-destructive techniques is an important requirement both for quality checks during the production phase and in service inspection during maintenance operations. The estimation of the time-of-arrival (TOA) and/or time-of-flight (TOF) of the ultrasonic echoes is essential in ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT). In this paper, we used split-spectrum processing (SSP) combined with matching pursuit signal decomposition (MPSD) to develop a dedicated ultrasonic detection system. SSP algorithm is used for Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) enhancement, and the MPSD algorithm is used to decompose backscattered signals into a linear expansion of chirplet echoes and estimate the chirplet parameters. Therefore, the combination of SSP and MPSD (SSP-MPSD) presents a powerful technique for ultrasonic NDT. The SSP algorithm is achieved by using Gaussian band pass filters. Then, MPSD algorithm uses the Maximum Likelihood Estimation. The good performance of the proposed method is experimentally verified using ultrasonic traces acquired from three specimens of carbon fibre reinforced polymer multi-layered composite materials (CFRP).

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.74 no.3
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• pp.313-323
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• 2020

Non-destructive tests are commonly used in construction industry to access the quality and strength of concrete. However, till date there is no non-destructive testing method that can be adopted to evaluate the bond condition of reinforced concrete beams. In this regard, the presented research work details the use of ultra-sonic pulse velocity test method to evaluate the bond condition of reinforced concrete beam. A detailed experimental research was conducted by testing four identical reinforced concrete beam samples. The samples were loaded in equal increments till failure and ultra-sonic pulse velocity readings were recorded along the length of the beam element. It was observed from experimentation that as the cracks developed in the sample, the ultra-sonic wave velocity reduced for the same path length. This reduction in wave velocity was used to identify the initiation, development and propagation of internal micro-cracks along the length of reinforcement. Using the developed experimental methodology, researchers were able to identify weak spots in bond along the length of the specimen. The proposed method can be adopted by engineers to access the quality of bond for steel reinforcement in beam members. This allows engineers to carryout localized repairs thereby resulting in reduction of time, cost and labor needed for strengthening. Furthermore, the methodology to apply the proposed technique in real-world along with various challenges associated with its application have also been highlighted.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.247-256
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• 2020

In this paper the possibility of using different regression models to predict the mechanical properties of limestone concrete after exposure to high temperatures, based on the results of non-destructive techniques, that could be easily used in-situ, is discussed. Extensive experimental work was carried out on limestone concrete mixtures, that differed in the water to cement (w/c) ratio, the type of cement and the quantity of superplasticizer added. After standard curing, the specimens were exposed to various high temperature levels, i.e., 200℃, 400℃, 600℃ or 800℃. Before heating, the reference mechanical properties of the concrete were determined at ambient temperature. After the heating process, the specimens were cooled naturally to ambient temperature and tested using non-destructive techniques. Among the mechanical properties of the specimens after heating, known also as the residual mechanical properties, the residual modulus of elasticity, compressive and flexural strengths were determined. The results show that residual modulus of elasticity, compressive and flexural strengths can be reliably predicted using an artificial neural network approach based on ultrasonic pulse velocity, residual surface strength, some mixture parameters and maximal temperature reached in concrete during heating.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.259-274
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• 1998

The test results from non-destructive and destructive field testing of a three-span deteriorated reinforced concrete slab bridge are used as a vehicle to examine the reliability of available tools for finite-element analysis of in-situ structures. Issues related to geometric modeling of members and connections, material models, and failure criteria are discussed. The results indicate that current material models and failure criteria are adequate, although lack of inelastic out-of-plane shear response in most nonlinear shell elements is a major shortcoming that needs to be resolved. With proper geometric modeling, it is possible to adequately correlate the measured global, regional, and local responses at all limit states. However, modeling of less understood mechanisms, such as slab-abutment connections, may need to be finalized through a system identification technique. In absence of the experimental data necessary for this purpose, upper and lower bounds of only global responses can be computed reliably. The studies reaffirm that success of finite-element models has to be assessed collectively with reference to all responses and not just a few global measurements.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.93-100
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• 2014

The paper deals with the application of radio isotopic non-destructive technique in the characterization of two industrial grade anion exchange resins Indion GS-300 and Indion-860. For the characterization of the two resins, $^{131}I$ and $^{82}Br$ were used as tracer isotopes to trace the kinetics of iodide and bromide ion-isotopic exchange reactions. It was observed that the values of specific reaction rate ($min^{-1}$), amount of iodide ion exchanged (mmol), initial rate of iodide ion exchange (mmol/min) and log $K_d$ were calculated as 0.328, 0.577, 0.189 and 19.7 respectively for Indion GS-300 resin, which was higher than the respective values of 0.180, 0.386, 0.070 and 17.0 calculated for Indion-860 resins when measured under identical experimental conditions. Also at a constant temperature of $40.0^{\circ}C$, as the concentration of labeled iodide ion solution increases 0.001 M to 0.004 M, the percentage of iodide ions exchanged increases from 75.16 % to 78.36 % for Indion GS-300 resins, which was higher than the increases from 49.65 % to 52.36 % compared to that obtained for Indion-860 resins. The overall results indicate that under identical experimental conditions, Indion GS-300 resins show superior performance over Indion-860 resins.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.735-751
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• 2020

Identification of structure parameters is crucial in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) context for activities such as model validation, damage assessment and signal processing of structure response. In this paper, guided waves generated by piezoelectric transducers are used for in-situ and non-destructive structural parameter estimation based on Bayesian approach. As Bayesian approach needs iterative process, which is computationally expensive, this paper proposes a method in which an analytical model is selected and developed in order to decrease computational time and complexity of modeling. An experimental set-up is implemented to estimate three target elastic and geometrical parameters: Young's modulus, Poisson ratio and thickness of aluminum and steel plates. Experimental and simulated data are combined in a Bayesian framework for parameter identification. A significant accuracy is achieved regarding estimation of target parameters with maximum error of 8, 11 and 17 percent respectively. Moreover, the limitation of analytical model concerning boundary reflections is addressed and managed experimentally. Pulse excitation is selected as it can excite the structure in a wide frequency range contrary to conventional tone burst excitation. The results show that the proposed non-destructive method can be used in service for estimation of material and geometrical properties of structure in industrial applications.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.1626-1633
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• 2021

In an industrial field, non-destructive testing (NDT) is commonly used to inspect industrial products. Among NDT methods using radiation sources, X-ray laminography has several advantages, such as high depth resolution and low computational costs. Moreover, an X-ray laminography system with stationary source array and compact detector is able to reduce mechanical motion artifacts and improve inspection efficiency. However, this system, called stationary inverse-geometry X-ray laminography (s-IGXL), causes truncation artifacts in reconstructed images due to limited fields-of-view (FOVs). In this study, we proposed a projection data correction (PDC) method to reduce the truncation artifacts arisen in s-IGXL images, and the performance of the proposed method was evaluated with the different number of focal spots in terms of quantitative accuracy. Comparing with conventional techniques, the PDC method showed superior performance in reducing truncation artifacts and improved the quantitative accuracy of s-IGXL images for all the number of focal spots. In conclusion, the PDC method can improve the accuracy of s-IGXL images and allow precise NDT measurements.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.487-496
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• 2022

Most of the pile's vertical static load tests in construction sites are the proof load tests, which is difficult to accurately estimate the ultimate bearing capacity and analyze the reliability of piles. Therefore, a reliability analysis method based on the proof load-settlement (Q-s) data is proposed in this study. In this proposed method, a simple ultimate limit state function based on the hyperbolic model is established, where the random variables of reliability analysis include the model factor of the ultimate bearing capacity and the fitting parameters of the hyperbolic model. The model factor M = R_uR / R_uP is calculated based on the available destructive Q-s data, where the real value of the ultimate bearing capacity (R_uR) is obtained by the complete destructive Q-s data; the predicted value of the ultimate bearing capacity (R_uP) is obtained by the proof Q-s data, a part of the available destructive Q-s data, that before the predetermined load determined by the pile test report. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can easy and effectively perform the reliability analysis based on the proof Q-s data.