• Journal of muscle and joint health
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.189-196
• /
• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate electromyographic (EMG) activity of deep and superficial trunk muscles during trunk stabilization exercises with and without stabilization maneuvers. Methods: The relative muscle activity ratios and local muscle activities of 25 healthy males were measured using the 8 channel surface EMG system (Myosystem 1400A, Noraxon Inc., U.S.A). The surface EMG activities were tested during performing abdominal hollowing maneuver (AHM), abdominal bracing maneuver (ABM) and no stabilization maneuver (NSM) in random order. Data were analyzed using $1{\times}3$ repeated measures ANOVA. Results: During bridging exercises, the EMG activity ratio of transverse abdominis/internal oblique abdominis relative to rectus abdominis was significantly lower in NSM than in AHM and ABM. During bridging and kneeling exercises, the EMG activity ratio of multifidus relative to erector spinae was significantly higher in AHM than in NSM. Conclusion: The AHM can be clinically used by the physical therapist to activate selectively the trunk muscles when designing selective training programs for patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.61-67
• /
• 2018

This study proposes a new vibration control approach for adjacent twin structures, which is termed as viscous damper asymmetric coupling system in this paper. The proposed system takes a concept that the diagonal bracing viscous dampers are asymmetrically distributed in two buildings to break the behavior symmetry of the twin buildings and then the coupling viscous damper is additionally installed at the top floor of the two buildings to couple both buildings and interactively transfer the asymmetric behavior-caused damping forces into both buildings. These asymmetric damping distributions and interacting damping forces of the connection damper efficiently suppress the overall vibration of the damper-coupled adjacent twin buildings efficiently. Genetic algorithm (GA) based multi-objective optimization technique is adopted for optimal design of the proposed system. In the numerical example of adjacent twin 10-story building structures, the conventional control approach, that is, uniform damping distribution system (UDS) is also taken into account for comparison purpose. The optimization results verify that the proposed system either can improve the control performance over the UDS with the same damping capacity, or can save the damping capacity significantly while maintaining the similar level of control performance to the UDS.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.104-111
• /
• 2018

System supports are widely used in concrete construction due to the convenience and structural safety at the point of both installation and dismantling. However, there were frequent collapses in the construction sites due to the absence of both structural review and brace installations. Therefore, this paper examines the importance of braces in the system supports. In order to examine the importance of the brace, four types of braces were considered: 100% braces, 50% braces, 25% braces, and without braces. The maximum displacement of the 100% braced model was 0.97 mm, the 50% braced model was 1.13 mm, the 25% braced model was 1.16 mm and the non-braced model was 24.3 mm, respectively. Compared to the model with the without-braces, the model with 100% of the braces installed has a displacement of 4.0%, the model with 50% of the braces showed a displacement of 4.7%, and the model with 25% of the braces appeared to be a displacement of 4.8%. That is, the installation of the braces is effective in reducing the maximum displacement of the system supports and is effective in reducing the maximum displacement with only small number of braces installed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.209-222
• /
• 2002

This paper describes the buckling phenomenon of a tubular truss with unsupported length through a full-scale test and presents a practical computational method for the design of the trusses allowing for the contribution of torsional stiffness against buckling, of which the effect has never been considered previously by others. The current practice for the design of a planar truss has largely been based on the linear elastic approach which cannot allow for the contribution of torsional stiffness and tension members in a structural system against buckling. The over-simplified analytical technique is unable to provide a realistic and an economical design to a structure. In this paper the stability theory is applied to the second-order analysis and design of the structural form, with detailed allowance for the instability and second-order effects in compliance with design code requirements. Finally, the paper demonstrates the application of the proposed method to the stability design of a commonly adopted truss system used in support of glass panels in which lateral bracing members are highly undesirable for economical and aesthetic reasons.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.161-184
• /
• 2007

The use of composite semi-rigid connections is not fully exploited, in spite of its great number of advantages. Composite semi-rigid connections may lead to an optimal moment distribution that will render lighter structures. Furthermore, using the appropriate semi-rigid connection design, the stability of the frames against lateral loads may entirely rely on the joint stiffness, thus avoiding bracing systems and permitting more diaphanous designs. Although modern codes, such as the Eurocode 4 (EC4), propose thorough methods of analysis they do not provide enough insight and simplicity from the design point of view. The purpose of this paper is to introduce practical and efficient methods of analysis that will facilitate the work of a structural analyst starting from the global analysis of the composite frame and ending on the final connection design. A key aspect is the definition of the stiffness and strength of the connections that will lead to an optimal moment distribution in the composite beams. Two examples are presented in order to clarify the application of the proposed methods and to demonstrate the advantages of the semi-rigid composite design with respect to the alternative pinned and rigid ones. The final aim of the paper is to stimulate and encourage the designer on the use of composite semi-rigid structures.

• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.423-435
• /
• 2020

Open ground story (OGS) reinforced concrete (RC) buildings are vulnerable to the complete collapse or severe damages under seismic actions. This study investigates the effectiveness of four different strengthening techniques representing the local and global modifications to improve the seismic performance of a non-ductile RC OGS frame. Steel caging and concrete jacketing methods of column strengthening are considered as the local modification techniques, whereas steel bracing and RC shear wall systems are selected as the global strengthening techniques in this study. Performance-based plastic design (PBPD) approach relying on energy-balance concept has been adopted to determine the required design force demand on the strengthening elements. Nonlinear static and dynamic analyses are carried out on the numerical models of study frames to assess the effectiveness of selected strengthening techniques in improving the seismic performance of OGS frame.. Strengthening techniques based on steel braces and RC shear wall significantly reduced the peak interstory drift response of the OGS frame. However, the peak floor acceleration of these strengthened frames is amplified by more than 2.5 times as compared to that of unstrengthened frame. Steel caging technique of column strengthening resulted in a reasonable reduction in the peak interstory drift response without substantial amplification in peak floor acceleration of the OSG frame.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.44-50
• /
• 1998

The purpose of this case study was to introduce botulinum toxin A injection in cerebral palsy. Spasticity can be managed using a variety of methods. Eliminating aggravating sources, promoting stretching and bracing, and positioning are the least invasive methods of treatment. Botulinum toxin A injection is a relatively recent method of spasticity management in children with cerebral palsy. A 3-year old boy was evaluated for possible botulinum toxin injection to promote left side function. The patient had left hemiparetic cerebral palsy. He walked with bilateral intoning, much worse on the left than on the right and with excessive plantar flexion on the left. Botulinum toxin A was injected into the left medial gastrocnemius, with the goals of improving quality of gait. Finally, botulinum toxin treatment of would improve the motor function and ambulatory status in cerebral palsy by hypertonicity, spasticity, dynamic contracture and athetoid movement.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.3 no.3_4
• /
• pp.611-628
• /
• 2012

The inelastic earthquake response of existing, reinforced concrete buildings with an open ground story, designed according to the old Greek codes, is investigated before and after their seismic strengthening with steel braces restricted to the open ground stories. The seismic performance evaluation is based on Part 3 of Eurocode 8 for assessment and retrofitting of buildings. Three and five-story, symmetric and non-symmetric buildings are subjected to a set of seven pairs of synthetic accelerograms, compatible with the design spectrum, and conclusions are drawn regarding the effectiveness of the strengthening solutions. Seismic behavior of the selected models confirms results of previous work regarding the insufficient capacity of the open ground stories for design level earthquakes. It is also shown that strengthening only the weak ground story, a choice having the substantial advantage of low cost and continued usage of the building during its seismic retrofitting, can remove the inherent weakness without shifting the problem to the stories above and thus making such buildings at least as strong as those without a weak first story. This partial strengthening is possible for symmetric as well as eccentric buildings, in which torsion plays a further detrimental role.

• Advances in Computational Design
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.151-165
• /
• 2024

In this paper, the evaluation of the elastic lateral stiffness factor (ELSF) of steel frames for different lateral load-resisting systems (LLRSs) is presented. First, 720 steel structural frame models have been analyzed and designed using the equivalent lateral force method. Then by using pushover analysis method, all models have been analyzed, compared and evaluated. Finally, the effects of a number of influenced parameters such as different types of LLRSs, span length, number of stories, number of spans as well as story height of the buildings on the lateral stiffness are assessed and by applying regression analysis some useful equations were submitted. Based on the results obtained for steel frames having different LLRSs, compared to ordinary moment-resisting frames (OMRFs) as a base (having ELSF of 1), the normalized average ELSFs of K-eccentrically braced-frames (K-EBFs), V-, Z-, inverted V-, X-braced-frames, shear walls with thickness of 25 cm (SW25) and shear walls with thickness of 30 cm (SW30) are about 2.2, 6, 7, 9, 11, 95, 155, respectively. Among the braced-frames, X-braced-frames have the maximum ELSF, about 10 times more than OMRF, while OMRFs provide the minimum ELSFs among all LLRSs, and the frames supported by shear walls have ELSFs about 100 to 150 times more than OMRFs.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.59-74
• /
• 2015

Since there are several places located in active seismic zones in the world, serious damages and losses have happened due to major scaled earthquakes. Especially, structures having different irregularities have been severely damaged or collapsed during these seismic events. Behavior of existing structures under several loading conditions is not completely determined due to some uncertainties. This situation reveals the importance of design and analysis of structures under seismic effects. Several non-linear static procedures have been developed in recent years. Determination of the seismic safety of the existing structures and strengthening techniques are significant civil engineering problems Non-linear methods are defined in codes to determine the performance levels of structures more accurately. However, displacement based ones give more realistic results. These methods provide more reliable evaluation possibilities for existing structures with developing computer technology. In this study, non-linear performance analysis of existing and strengthened steel structures by X shaped bracing members with 3, 5 and 7 stories which have soft story irregularity is performed according to FEMA-356 and Turkish Earthquake Code-2007. Damage ratios of the structural members and global performance levels are determined as well as modal properties and story drift ratios after non-linear finite elements analysis for each structure.