• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1423-1450
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• 2015

The paper presents the details and results of an experimental study on bolted end-plate joints of industrial type steel building frames. The investigated joints are commonly used in Lindab-Astron industrial buildings and are optimized for manufacturing, erection and durability. The aim of the research was to provide an experimental background for the design model development by studying load-bearing capacity of joints, bolt force distribution, and end-plate deformations. Because of the special joint details, (i.e., joints with four bolts in one bolt-row and HammerHead arrangements), the Eurocode 3 standardized component model had to be improved and extended. The experimental programme included six different end-plate and bolt arrangements and covered sixteen specimens. The steel grade of test specimens was S355, the bolt diameter M20, whereas the bolt grade was 8.8 and 10.9 for the two series. The end-plate thickness varied between 12 mm and 24 mm. The specimens were investigated under pure bending conditions using a four-point-bending test arrangement. In all tests the typical displacements and the bolt force distribution were measured. The end-plate plastic deformations were measured after the tests by an automatic measuring device. The measured data were presented and evaluated by the moment-bolt-row force and moment-distance from centre of compression diagrams and by the deformed end-plate surfaces. From the results the typical failure modes and the joint behaviour were specified and presented. Furthermore the influence of the end-plate thickness and the pretension of the bolts on the behaviour of bolted joints were analysed.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.199-233
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• 2014

This paper attempts to investigate how and why the additionality effects occur in the case when a firm receives government subsidy as opposed to counterfactual situation. To demonstrate this, we selected 12 SMEs(small and medium enterprises) firms in Daejeon area and have conducted multiple case studies. In order to analyse the multiple cases of firms, we classified firms innovative activities into three stages which are composed of input, behaviour and output stages and related various factors. Furthermore, we investigated the differences according to types of firms and stages of firm growth. Empirical results show that various input, behaviour and output additionality effects exist when firms receive public subsidies. Compared to companies in the growth and mature stages, startup phase companies depend on government subsidy extensively and they use public subsidies strategically to develop new product and to change their strategic direction. The attitude of firms to use government subsidies is different according to their types and stage of growth as well.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.349-365
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• 2022

Steel fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC) is an emerging class of composite for construction. However, a reliable method to assess the flexural behaviour of SFRC structural member is in lack. An analytical technique is proposed for determining the moment-curvature response of concrete beams reinforced with steel fibres and longitudinal bars (R/SFRC members). The behaviour of the tensile zone of such members is highly complex due to the interaction between the residual (tension softening) stresses of SFRC and the tension stiffening stresses. The current study suggests a transparent and mechanically sound method to combine these two stress concepts. Tension stiffening is modelled by the reinforcement-related approach assuming that the corresponding stresses act in the area of tensile reinforcement. The effect is quantified based on the analogy between the R/SFRC member and the equivalent RC member having identical geometry and materials except fibres. It is assumed that the resultant tension stiffening force for the R/SFRC member can be calculated as for the equivalent RC member providing that the reinforcement strain in the cracked section of these members is the same. The resultant tension stiffening force can be defined from the moment-curvature relation of the equivalent RC member using an inverse technique. The residual stress is calculated using an existing model that eliminates the need for dedicated mechanical testing. The proposed analytical technique was validated against test data of R/SFRC beams and slabs.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.447-456
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• 2022

Recent experimental studies showed that deep steel I-shaped profiles classified as high ductility class sections in seismic design international codes exhibit low deformation capacity when subjected to cyclic loading. This paper presents an innovative retrofit solution to increase the rotation capacity of beams using bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) patches validated with advanced finite element analysis. This investigation focuses on the flexural cyclic behaviour of I-shaped hot rolled steel deep section used as beams in moment-resisting frames (MRF) retrofitted with CFRP patches on the web. The main goal of this CFRP reinforcement is to increase the rotation capacity of the member without increasing the overstrength in order to avoid compromising the strong column-weak beam condition in MRF. A finite element model that simulates the cyclic plasticity behavior of the steel and the damage in the adhesive layer is developed. The damage is modelled using the cohesive zone modelling (CZM) technique that is able to capture the crack initiation and propagation. Details on the modelling techniques including the mesh sensitivity near the fracture zone are presented. The effectiveness of the retrofit solution depends strongly on the selection of the appropriate adhesive. Different adhesive types are investigated where the CZM parameters are calibrated from high fidelity fracture mechanics tests that are thoroughly validated in the literature. This includes a rigid adhesive commonly found in the construction industry and two tough adhesives used in the automotive industry. The results revealed that the CFRP patch can increase the rotation capacity of a steel member considerably when using tough adhesives.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.884-894
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• 2023

Design and safety assessment of fuel pins for application in innovative Generation IV fast reactors calls for a dedicated nuclear fuel modelling and for the extension of the fuel performance code capabilities to the envisaged materials and irradiation conditions. In the INSPYRE Project, comprehensive and physics-based models for the thermal-mechanical properties of U-Pu mixed-oxide (MOX) fuels and for fission gas behaviour were developed and implemented in the European fuel performance codes GERMINAL, MACROS and TRANSURANUS. As a follow-up to the assessment of the reference code versions ("pre-INSPYRE", NET 53 (2021) 3367-3378), this work presents the integral validation and benchmark of the code versions extended in INSPYRE ("post-INSPYRE") against two pins from the SUPERFACT-1 fast reactor irradiation experiment. The post-INSPYRE simulation results are compared to the available integral and local data from post-irradiation examinations, and benchmarked on the evolution during irradiation of quantities of engineering interest (e.g., fuel central temperature, fission gas release). The comparison with the pre-INSPYRE results is reported to evaluate the impact of the novel models on the predicted pin performance. The outcome represents a step forward towards the description of fuel behaviour in fast reactor irradiation conditions, and allows the identification of the main remaining gaps.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.513-538
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• 2022

This paper reports on experiments addressing the buckling and collapse behavior of an innovative built-up cold-formed steel (CFS) columns. The built-up column consists of four individual CFS lipped channels, two of them placed back-to-back at the web using two self-drilling screw fasteners at specified spacing along the column length, while the other two channels were connected flange-to-flange using one self-drilling screw fastener at specified spacing along the column length. In total, 12 experimental tests are reported, covering a wide range of column lengths from stub to slender columns. The initial geometric imperfections and material properties were determined for all test specimens. The effect of screw spacing, load-versus axial shortening behaviour and buckling modes for different lengths and screw spacing were investigated. Nonlinear finite element (FE) models were also developed, which included material nonlinearities and initial geometric imperfections. The FE models were validated against the experimental results, both in terms of axial capacity and failure modes of built-up CFS columns. Furthermore, using the validated FE models, a parametric study was conducted which comprises 324 models to investigate the effect of screw fastener spacing, thicknesses and wide range of lengths on axial capacity of back-to-back and flange-to-flange built-up CFS channel sections. Using both the experimental and FE results, it is shown that design in accordance with the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and Australia/New Zealand (AS/NZS) standards is slightly conservative by 6% on average, while determining the axial capacity of back-to-back and flange-to-flange built-up CFS channel sections.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.539-552
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• 2022

Concentrically braced frames (CBFs) possess high stiffness and strength against lateral loads; however, they suffer from low energy absorption capacity against seismic loads due to the susceptibility of CBF diagonal elements to bucking under compression loading. To address this problem, in this study, an innovative damper was proposed and investigated experimentally and numerically. The proposed damper comprises main plates and includes a flange plate angled at θ and a trapezius-shaped web plate surrounded by the plate at the top and bottom sections. To investigate the damper behaviour, dampers with θ = 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90° were evaluated with different flange plate thicknesses of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mm. Dampers with θ = 0° and 90° create rectangular-shaped and I-shaped shear links, respectively. The results indicate that the damper with θ = 30° exhibits better performance in terms of ultimate strength, stiffness, overstrength, and distribution stress over the damper as compared to dampers with other angles. The hysteresis curves of the dampers confirm that the proposed damper acts as a ductile fuse. Furthermore, the web and flange plates contribute to the shear resistance, with the flange carrying approximately 80% and 10% of the shear force for dampers with θ = 30° and 90°, respectively. Moreover, dampers that have a larger flange-plate shear strength than the shear strength of the web exhibit behaviours in linear and nonlinear zones. In addition, the over-strength obtained for the damper was greater than 1.5 (proposed by AISC for shear links). Relevant relationships are determined to predict and design the damper and the elements outside it.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.359-374
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• 2017

The seismic events in Northern Italy, May 2012, have revealed the seismic vulnerability of typical Italian precast industrial buildings. The aim of this paper is to present a seismic fragility model for Italian RC precast buildings, to be used in earthquake loss estimation and seismic risk assessment by comparing two building typologies and three different codes: D.M. 3-03-1975, D.M. 16-01-1996 and current Italian building code that has been released in 2008. Based on geometric characteristics and design procedure applied, ten different building classes were identified. A Monte Carlo simulation was performed for each building class in order to generate the building stock used for the development of fragility curves trough analytical method. The probabilistic distributions of geometry were mainly obtained from data collected from 650 field surveys, while the material properties were deduced from the code in place at the time of construction or from expert opinion. The structures were modelled in 2D frameworks; since the past seismic events have identified the beam-column connection as the weakest element of precast buildings, two different modelling solutions were adopted to develop fragility curves: a simple model with post processing required to detect connection collapse and an innovative modelling solution able to reproduce the real behaviour of the connection during the analysis. Fragility curves were derived using both nonlinear static and dynamic analysis.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.347-359
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• 2017

Blast resistant gates are required to be lightweight and able to mitigate extreme loading effect. This may be achieved through innovative design of a gate and its supporting frame. The first is well covered in literature while the latter is often overlooked. The design of supporting frame depends mainly on the boundary conditions and corresponding reaction forces. The later states the novelty and the aim of this paper, namely, the analysis of reaction forces in supporting structure of rectangular steel gates subjected to "far-field explosions". Flat steel plate was used as simplified gate structure, since the focus was on reaction forces rather than behaviour of gate itself. The analyses include both static and dynamic cases using analytical and numerical methods to emphasize the difference between both approaches, and provide some practical hints for engineers. The comprehensive study of reaction forces presented here, cover four different boundary conditions and three length to width ratios. Moreover, the effect of explosive charge and stand-off distance on reaction forces was also covered. The analyses presented can be used for a future design of a possible "blast absorbing supporting frame" which will increase the absorbing properties of the gate. This in return, may lead to lighter and more operational blast resistant gates.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.71
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• pp.325-350
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• 2016

As the new competitive environment become more global, technologically oriented and customer driven, as customers continually demand higher quality, faster response, and greater reliability of products and services, the new global market demands a more customer responsive behaviour by companies and firms have responded with innovative products and improved manufacturing processes to manufacture products. Further, the shift from traditional manufacturing and purchasing to JIT manufacturing and purchasing requires customers and suppliers to shift from adversarial relationships to strategic partnerships, and information sharing, so as to attain flexibility, reliability, and speed. SCM practices such as supplier collaboration and information sharing is considered as a key to attaining supplier network responsiveness and enhancing the product innovation and the market access time. The current research investigates the effect of SCM practices on supplier network responsiveness, the product innovation and the market access time of export companies. Thus by providing empirical evidence of the said relationships, this study offers useful guidelines for measuring and improving the supplier network responsiveness of a firm, facilitating further research in the area.