• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.315-323
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• 2022

Background: Socioeconomical disadvantaged communities are more vulnerable to environmental chemical exposure and associated health effects. However, there is limited information on chemical exposure among vulnerable populations in Korea. Objectives: This study investigated chemical exposure among underprivileged populations. We measured urinary metabolites of phthalates in urban disadvantaged communities and investigated their correlations with residential environment factors and relative socioeconomic vulnerability. Methods: Urine samples were collected from 64 residents in a disadvantaged community in Seoul. A total of eight phthalate metabolites were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Analytical method used by the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) was employed. Covariate variance analysis and general linear regression adjusted with age, sex and smoking were performed. Results: Several phthalate metabolites, namely monomethyl phthalate (MMP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) had higher levels than those reported in the adults of 4th KoNEHS. Notably, the MnBP level was higher in the lower socioeconomic group (geometric mean [GM]=47.3 ㎍/g creatinine) compared to non-recipients (GM=31.9 ㎍/g creatinine) and the national reference level (GM=22.0, 28.2 and 32.2 ㎍/g creatinine for adults, 60's and 70's, respectively.). When age, sex and smoking were adjusted, MEP and MnBP were significantly increased the lower socioeconomic group than non-recipients (p=0.014, p=0.023). The lower socioeconomic group's age of flooring were higher than non-recipients, not statistically significant. Conclusions: These results suggest that a relatively low income and aged flooring could be considered as risk factors for increased levels of phthalate metabolites in socioeconomic vulnerable populations.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.324-333
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• 2023

Background: Human exposure to phthalates in indoor environments occurs via dermal absorption, oral ingestion of indoor dust, and inhalation of indoor air. However, systematic studies to investigate the exposure rate to phthalates among the three exposure routes in indoor environments are currently limited. Objectives: A theoretical exposure ratio between inhalation and oral exposure was calculated based on the total amount of di(2-ethyl-hexyl) phthalate (DEHP) emitted into indoor air and deposited into floor dust in a test house. Methods: Flooring and wallpaper containing DEHP were installed in a test house and the concentration of DEHP in both indoor air and floor dust were monitored for five months. Based on the measured DEHP concentrations, the theoretical total amount ratio of DEHP that could be exposed through inhalation and oral ingestion was calculated. Results: Considering the period of operation in the test house, the theoretical total amount of DEHP through inhalation and oral ingestion exposures in the entire test house space was calculated to be 0.014 mg and 5.5 mg, respectively. The exposure ratio of the two routes between inhalation and oral exposure corresponding to the total DEHP amount in flooring and wallpaper was 6.0×10^-7% and 2.3×10^-4%, indicating that theoretical oral exposure to DEHP is approximately 380 times higher than inhalation. Conclusions: Monitoring results from a test house has shown that oral exposure is the main exposure route for DEHP in indoor environments. The experimental design employed in this study and theoretical exposure ratio obtained can be applied to investigate actual exposure to DEHP and to determine the exposure characteristics of various types of semi-volatile organic compounds.

• Journal of The Korean Digital Architecture Interior Association
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2013

This paper presents computer graphics applying the traditional Korean house(Hanok) style interior to unit-care space of Welfare Facility and proposes the possibility as interior design and construction materials. In this paper, the proposed computer graphic-based model is a single-story building that provides convenient traffic between rooms. Computer graphic-based model is presented by Auto CAD, 3D program (Sketch-UP v.8), rendering program (Podium v.2) based on the traditional Korean house and related work of unit-care welfare facility. Computer graphic-based model that combined unit-care and the traditional Korean house has the following characteristics. In each room of living space, wallpaper and flooring Korean paper(Hnaji) is considered and windows, door, furniture of traditional pattern were placed. The living room(Daechung) that is representative of the traditional Korean house and the corridor (toenmaru) are the elements to save the image of the traditional Korean house as much as possible. Especially, the corridor (toenmaru) is placed to conveniently use in nursing-care facility and home-care support facility. A public space is placed around the inside court (An-madang), while the living space (unit-care) has a sense of independence by separation. Bathroom and kitchen have a modern design for functionality than aesthetic elements.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.81-90
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• 1999

This study investigated the present traditional Korean farmhouse based on a survey of 30 households from Oiam-Ri folk Village in Chung-Nam Province. This study was primarily concerned with the present housing; the size and plan of the house, lighting and heating, the finishing materials of anbang(the master's bedroom or ondol) and the kinds of fumiture. I was also interested in identifying the socio-demographic and physical variables that influenced the housing, both the ordinary farm households and the descendent of nobility households. Bibliographical studies, cultural approaches, field surveys with tape recordings, and questionnaires were used to collect the data. The results showed that the types of house plans were mixed from the southern region(one-line type) and middle region(courtyard type). The heating system and the fuel for the ondol anbang has changed entirely from wood burning system to oil boiler system. The finishing material of the anbang floor changed from traditional oil paper and straw mats to vinyl flooring. Traditional fumiture and small decor items are disappearing and are being replaced by modem items, but the descendents of the nobility household kept many traditional type of fumiture and small decor items.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.739-746
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• 2003

Various researches on the application of polymer dispersions to the cement mortar and concrete have been carried out in many countries like America, Japan and Germany and so on due to their high performance and good modification effect. PAE of polymer dispersion widely used in situ was employed that the high flowability may be induced in the cement mortar. In order to investigate the modification of cement mortar with high flowability by PAE and fracture mode of adhesive strength properties in tension of that, experimental parameters were set as PAE solid-cement ratio(P/C) and cement: fine aggregate(C:F) and the experiments such as unit weight, flow, consistency change, crack resistance and segregation that inform on the general properties have been done. Adhesion in tension is measured with a view to comprehending the properties and fracture mode in tensile load. Consistency change of cement mortar modified by PAE did grow better as the ratio of PAE solid-cement increased and was much superior to that of resin based flooring such as polyurethane and epoxy which recorded the loss of consistency in 90 min. after mixing. Adhesive strength in tension increased with continuity during curing period and showed the maximum in case of C:F=1:1 and P/C=20%.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.55-66
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• 2009

Nearly a half of the accidents the old people had take place in home. Home safety will be more important than ever in rapidly increasing old aged in Korea. The purpose of this paper is to search the general characteristics of domestic accidents related to living environment of the old people experienced. The number of 248 respondents who had experienced of housing related accidents since recent 10 years were selected from 500 interviews with 65 years old and over during April 4th-26th, 2008. About a half of respondents had experienced home accidents. The entrance is the most common places the home accidents occurred, followed by bathrooms and stairs. flooring materials and raised floors are the most dangerous spots. Both places and dangerous objects are related each other. The place is also related to the type of dwelling. Slipping and tripping over most frequently happen in home accidents. It is related to the place like slipping in a bathroom or stairs, and tripping over in entrances. Mostly, legs and arms are injured by the home accidents. A safe home facilitates the old to live healthy and independent in their own places. A safe home for the old is a kind of new issues in Korea. Related policies and researches are about to sprout.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.1005-1010
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• 2001

Recently, polymer-modified mortar has been studied for proposed use on industrial floors as top layers with thin thicknesses, typically 5~ 15mm. The purpose of this study is to evaluate basic properties of self leveling materials using polymer modifier as kinds of SBR, PAE, SUBA. Superplasticizer and thickener have been included in the mixes to reduce bleeding and drying shrinkage as well as in order to facilitate the workability required. The self leveling materials using four types of polymer dispersion are prepared with polymer-cement ratios which respectively range from 50%, 75%, and were tested for basic characteristics such as adhesion in tension, crack resistance test, rebound test after the preparative tests for unit weight, air content, consistency ratio etc. The results show almost as equal quality as existing commercial industrial flooring when mortar is modified by polymer dispersion. Adhesion in tension of polymer modified mortars using each SBR and PAE emulsion was over 10 kgf/$cm^{2}$. Crack or flaw derived from shrinkage is strongly dependent on the type of polymer dispersion because of each different total solid of polymer. It is judged that polymer modified mortar with self-leveling can be very well suited for Floor-finished.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.443-452
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• 2008

Shrinkage crack is a major concern for cement materials, especially for flat structures such as Korean On-Dol floor system, flooring for garages, and wall. One of the methods to reduce the adverse effects of shrinkage cracking is to reinforce cement materials with shot randomly distributed fibers. The efficiency of inorganic fibrous material to arresting cracks in cementitious composites was studied. Cement materials reinforced with five different qualities of inorganic fibrous material were tested. Contents of inorganic fibrous material were 1.0 kg, 1.5 kg, 2.0 kg, 2.5 kg, 3.0 kg by weight of cement mortar and C : S types of cement mortar were 1:3 and 1:4. W/C were 60% and 80%. Cement mortar of inorganic fibrous material reinforcement showed an ability to reduce the crack width and crack length significantly as compared to unreinforced cement mortar. $40%{\sim}60%$ drop in shrinkage crack of 1:4 cement mortar with 1.5 kg over was observed.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.165-178
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• 2015

Friction coefficient of epoxy metal matrix composites were investigated. The main objective was to increase the friction coefficient through rubber sole sliding against the epoxy floor coating providing appropriate level of resistance. This was to avoid the excessive movement and slip accidents. Epoxy metal matrix composites were reinforced by different copper wire diameters. The epoxy metal matrix composites were experimentally conducted at different conditions namely dry, water and detergent wetted sliding, were the friction coefficient increased as the number of wires increased. When the wires were closer to the sliding surface, the friction coefficient was found to increase. The friction coefficient was found to increase with the increase of the copper wire diameter in epoxy metal matrix composites. This behavior was attributed to the fact that as the diameter and the number of wires increased, the intensity of the electric field, generated from electric static charge increased causing an adhesion increase between the two sliding surfaces. At water wetted sliding conditions, the effect of changing number of wires on friction coefficient was less than the effect of wire diameter. The presence of water and detergent on the sliding surfaces decreased friction coefficient compared to the dry sliding. When the surfaces were detergent wetted, the friction coefficient values were found to be lower than that observed when sliding in water or dry condition.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.489-500
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• 2012

Cold-formed steel profile sheets acting as decks have been popularly used in composite slab systems in steel structural works, since it acts as a working platform as well as formwork for concreting during construction stage and also as tension reinforcement for the concrete slab during service. In developing countries like India, this system of flooring is being increasingly used due to the innate advantage of these systems. Three modes of failure have been identified in composite slab such as flexural, vertical shear and longitudinal shear failure. Longitudinal shear failure is the one which is difficult to predict theoretically and therefore experimental methods suggested by Eurocode 4 (EC 4) of four point bending test is in practice throughout world. This paper presents such an experimental investigation on embossed profile sheet acting as a composite deck where in the longitudinal shear bond characteristics values are evaluated. Two stages, brittle and ductile phases were observed during the tests. The cyclic load appears to less effect on the ultimate shear strength of the composite slab.