• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.299-322
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• 2013

In the case of seismic-resistant composite dual moment resisting and eccentrically braced frames, the current design practice is to avoid the disposition of shear connectors in the expected plastic zones, and consequently to consider a symmetric moment or shear plastic hinges, which occur only in the steel beam or link. Even without connectors, the real behaviour of the hinge may be different from the symmetric assumption, since the reinforced concrete slab is connected to the steel element close to the hinge locations, and also due to contact friction between the concrete slab and the steel element. The paper presents the results and conclusions of experimental tests on composite portal eccentrically braced frames and beam-to-column moment-resisting joints, carried out within the CEMSIG Research Centre of the Politehnica University of Timisoara, in order to check the validity of the assumption stated above. Reference steel and composite specimens with and without connectors in the plastic zones have been tested under monotonic and cyclic seismic type loading.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2013

This paper presents an actual microstructure-based numerical method to investigate the mechanical properties of concrete at mesoscopic level. Digital image processing technique is used to capture the concrete surface image and generate the actual 3-phase microstructure of the concrete, which consists of aggregate, matrix and interfacial transition zones. The microstructure so generated is then transformed into a mesh or grid for numerical analysis. A finite difference code FLAC2D is used for the numerical analysis to simulate the mechanical responses and failure patterns of the concrete. Several cases of concrete with different degrees of material heterogeneity and under different compression loading conditions have been analysed. From the numerical results, the effects of the internal material heterogeneities as well as the external confining stresses are studied. It is shown that the material heterogeneities arising from the presence of different phases and the existence of interfacial transition zones have great influence on the overall mechanical behaviour of concrete and that the numerically simulated behaviour of concrete with or without confining stresses applied agrees quite well with the general observations reported in the literature.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.23-31
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the Safety and Logistical Distribution Management system in Thailand's Highway Work Zone based on data from Logistics drivers. Accidents in highway construction zones have caused enormous casualties in Thailand yearly. Statistical data shows evidence of correlation between numbers of accidents and drivers' recklessness. Research design, data, and methodology: In this study, we conducted an in- depth interview with 414 logistics drivers and highway construction workers in Khon Kaen province, Thailand. The data was collected based on 63 questionnaires aiming at capturing factors contributing to the risk of safety and cause of accidents in logistic infrastructures such as Highway work zone. Results: The result reveals two significant factors affecting safety in highway work zone, which includes construction environment and safety management system. Moreover, the result shows that feeling of afraid and confused while driving within the construction zones significantly affecting driver's risk of having an accident. Conclusions: The findings of this study offer that a strategic planning and evaluation of the logistics drivers' satisfaction and construction workers' participation to mitigate highway accidents at construction zones and that drivers' knowledge and perception toward construction safety management plays a significant role in preventing highway accidents at the construction areas.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.232-243
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• 2022

Changes in household composition and the residential environment have had a considerable impact on the features of postal delivery regions in recent years, resulting in a large increase in the overall workload of domestic postal delivery services. In this paper, we provide complex analysis results for postal delivery areas using various unsupervised learning approaches. First, we extract highly influential features using several feature-engineering methods. Then, using quantitative and qualitative cluster analyses, we find the distinctive traits and semantics of postal delivery zones. Unsupervised learning approaches are useful for successfully grouping postal service zones, according to our findings. Furthermore, by comparing a postal delivery region to other areas in the same group, workload balancing was achieved.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.125-141
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• 1998

Recent test results of steel moment connections repaired with a haunch on the bottom side of the beam have been shown to be a very promising solution to enhancing the seismic performance of steel moment-resisting frames. Yet, little is known about the effects of using such a repair scheme on the global seismic response of structures. When haunches are incorporated in a steel moment frame, the response prediction is complicated by the presence of "dual" panel zones. To investigate the effects of a repair on seismic performance, a case study was conducted for a 13-story steel frame damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. It was assumed that only those locations with reported damage would be repaired with haunches. A new analytical modeling technique for the dual panel zone developed by the author was incorporated in the analysis. Modeling the dual panel zone was among the most significant consideration in the analyses. Both the inelastic static and dynamic analyses did not indicate detrimental side effects resulting from the repair. As a result of the increased strength in dual panel zones, yielding in these locations were eliminated and larger plastic rotation demand occurred in the beams next to the shallow end of the haunches. Nevertheless, the beam plastic rotation demand produced by the Sylmar record of 1994 Northridge earthquake was still limited to 0.017 radians. The repair resulted in a minor increase in earthquake energy input. In the original structure, the panel zones should dissipate about 80% (for the Oxnard record) and 70% (for the Sylmar record) of the absorbed energy, assuming no brittle failure of moment connections. After repair, the energy dissipated in the panel zones and beams were about equal.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.409-426
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• 2007

Following previous work carried out in Building Research Institute in Japan, finite element analyses of conceptual column designs are performed in this paper. The effectiveness of the numerical model is evaluated by experimental tests and parametric studies are conducted to determine influential factors in conceptual column designs. First, three different column designs are analysed: bonded, un-bonded, and un-bonded with additional reinforcing bars. The load-displacement curves and cracking patterns in concrete are obtained and compared with experimental ones. The comparisons indicate that the finite element model is able to reflect the experimental results closely. Both numerical and experimental results show that, the introduction of un-bonded zones in a column end can reduce cracking strains, accordingly reduce the stiffness and strength as well; the addition of extra reinforcement in the un-bonded zones can offset the losses of the stiffness and strength. To decide the proper length of the un-bonded zones and the sufficient amount of the additional reinforcing bars, parametric studies are carried out on their influences. It has been found that the stiffness of un-bonded designs slightly decreases with increasing the length of the un-bonded zones and increases with the size of the additional reinforcing bars.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1329-1339
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• 1994

The purpose of present study is to explore the mechanical behavior of anchorage zones in prestressed concrete members with single and closely-spaced multiple tendon anchorages. The cracking loads and local stress distributions at these anchorage zones are studied. To this end, a series of experiments have been conducted. From this study, it is found that the failure of anchorage zones of the closely-spaced multiple tendon members is initiated by cracking along the tendon path and that the tensile stresses arising in the vicinity of anchorage zone of the first tendon are reduced due to additional compression of the second tendon. This results in the increase of cracking capacity of the member. The effects of multiple tendons are presented in the form of strain distribution and cracking load comparisons.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.231-237
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• 2010

With increased chemical and economic development activities in upstream areas, the amounts of pollutants released have increased, and as such, so has the need for positive management of water supply source areas. Although more than 90% of the water supply sources in Korea depend on direct intake from surface water, the interest in indirect intake, such as riverbank filtration water, has recently risen, with some local governments currently undertaking indirect intake. Even in cases of indirect intake, water supply source protection zones need to be assigned for the comprehensive control of pollutants. To establish water quality protection zones for indirect intake, the scope of the protection zones needed to reflect the hydrological features of the water-bearing deposits of each site. Water source protection areas were estimated and presented as the 1st (within a 100 m radius from an intake well) and 2nd (within a 2 km radius from an intake well) zones. The 1st zone was more sensitive; hence, the installation of various facilities should be prohibited, and the area should be regarded as off-limits. For the 2nd zone, appropriate management should prohibit and restrict activities already present in the water source protection zone.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.255-260
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• 2006

Measurements in two adjacent (about 1.5 m separation) boreholes reveal that there is a significant degree of variations in the width and property (permeability) of shear zones in the granitic rock. A high frequency (>10 kHz) cross-well seismic tomography was conducted to characterize the features of permeability distribution at the shear zones in the inter-well region. At the shear zones, the correlation between the permeability at the well location and the velocity pattern shown in the cross-well velocity tomogram suggests that a high resolution velocity tomogram may provide useful information for the shear zone characteristics, such as permeability, fracture density, width, and length.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.223-228
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• 2007

First arrival signals of multi-frequency crosswell seismic data, acquired in wells drilled in granitic rock, were analyzed to investigate the characteristic behavior of the signals at the shear zones. Dominant frequencies of the sources were; 10-, 20-, 40-, 56-, and 80 kHz. No obvious changes in the waveform at the shear zones were found; however, at the shear zones, some degree of velocity reductions were observed in the signals of all frequency sources. The 80 kHz signal is slightly faster than 10 kHz signal in the survey region, and the velocity difference between the two signals were found largest at the shear zone where the permeability measured greatest in the survey interval.