• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.10 no.12
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• pp.110-118
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• 2020

This study developed a evaluation indicators on environmental facilities highly vulnerable to flood damage from quantitative and qualitative perspectives in order to reinforce the ability or preemptive disaster prevention. At first, this study classified the facilities into structural factor and non-structural factor. The structural factor consists of 11 indicators, the non-structural factor consists of 8 internal indicators and 6 external indicators. This study is expected to be prepared for flood damage by evaluating flood vulnerability of environmental facilities.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.703-708
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• 2017

The goal of this study is to evaluate behavior uncertainties of structures by using interval finite element analysis based on interval factor method as a specific non-stochastic tool. The interval finite element method, i.e., interval FEM, is a finite element method that uses interval parameters in situations where it is not possible to get reliable probabilistic characteristics of the structure. The present method solves the uncertainty problems of a 2D solid structure, in which structural characteristics are assumed to be represented as interval parameters. An interval analysis method using interval factors is applied to obtain the solution. Numerical applications verify the intuitive effectiveness of the present method to investigate structural uncertainties such as displacement and stress without the application of probability theory.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.121-129
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• 2012

PURPOSES : Traffic accidents at intersections have been increased annually so that it is required to examine the causations to reduce the accidents. However, the current existing accident models were developed mainly with non-linear regression models such as Poisson methods. These non-linear regression methods lack to reveal complicated causations for traffic accidents, though they are right choices to study randomness and non-linearity of accidents. Therefore, to reveal the complicated causations of traffic accidents, this study used structural equation methods(SEM). METHODS : SEM used in this study is a statistical technique for estimating causal relations using a combination of statistical data and qualitative causal assumptions. SEM allow exploratory modeling, meaning they are suited to theory development. The method is tested against the obtained measurement data to determine how well the model fits the data. Among the strengths of SEM is the ability to construct latent variables: variables which are not measured directly, but are estimated in the model from several measured variables. This allows the modeler to explicitly capture the unreliability of measurement in the model, which allows the structural relations between latent variables to be accurately estimated. RESULTS : The study results showed that causal factors could be grouped into 3. Factor 1 includes traffic variables, and Factor 2 contains turning traffic variables. Factor 3 consists of other road element variables such as speed limits or signal cycles. CONCLUSIONS : Non-linear regression models can be used to develop accident predictions models. However, they lack to estimate causal factors, because they select only few significant variables to raise the accuracy of the model performance. Compared to the regressions, SEM has merits to estimate causal factors affecting accidents, because it allows the structural relations between latent variables. Therefore, this study used SEM to estimate causal factors affecting accident at urban signalized intersections.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.211-227
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• 2023

To investigate the non-Gaussian feature of fluctuating wind pressures on rectangular high-rise buildings, wind tunnel tests were conducted on scale models with side ratios ranging from 1/9~9 in an open exposure for various wind directions. The high-order statistical moments, time histories, probability density distributions, and peak factors of pressure fluctuations are analyzed. The mixed normal-Weibull distribution, Gumbel-Weibull distribution, and lognormal-Weibull distribution are adopted to fit the probability density distribution of different non-Gaussian wind pressures. Zones of Gaussian and non-Gaussian are classified for rectangular buildings with various side ratios. The results indicate that on the side wall, the non-Gaussian wind pressures are related to the distance from the leading edge. Apart from the non-Gaussianity in the separated flow regions noted by some literature, wind pressures behind the area where reattachment happens present non-Gaussian nature as well. There is a new probability density distribution type of non-Gaussian wind pressure which has both long positive and negative tail found behind the reattachment regions. The correlation coefficient of wind pressures is proved to reflect the non-Gaussianity and a new method to estimate the mean reattachment length of rectangular high-rise building side wall is proposed by evaluating the correlation coefficient. For rectangular high-rise buildings, the mean reattachment length calculated by the correlation coefficient method along the height changes in a parabolic shape. Distributions of Gaussian and non-Gaussian wind pressures vary with side ratios. It is inappropriate to estimate the extreme loads of wind pressures using a fixed peak factor. The trend of the peak factor with side ratios on different walls is given.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.267-275
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• 2020

In the event of an earthquake, non-structural components require seismic performance to ensure evacuation routes and to protect lives from falling non-structural components. Accordingly, the seismic design code proposes horizontal force for the design and evaluation of non-structural components. Ground motion observed on each floor is affected by a building's eigen vibration mode. Therefore, the earthquake damage of non-structural components is determined by the characteristics of the non-structural component system and the vibration characteristics of the building. Floor response spectra in the seismic design code are estimated through time history analysis using seismic waves. However, it is difficult to use floor response spectra as a design criterion because of user-specific uncertainties of time history analysis. In addition, considering the response characteristics of high-rise buildings to long-period ground motions, the safety factor of the proposed horizontal force may be low. Therefore, this study carried out the horizontal force review proposed in the seismic design code through dynamic analysis and evaluated the floor response of seismic waves considering buildings and predominant periods of seismic waves.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.279-293
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• 2021

Most of the existing seismic codes for RC buildings consider only a scenario earthquake for analysis, often characterized by the response spectrum at the specified location. However, any real earthquake event often involves occurrences of multiple earthquakes within a few hours or days, possessing similar or even higher energy than the first earthquake. This critically impairs the rehabilitation measures thereby resulting in the accumulation of structural damages for subsequent earthquakes after the first earthquake. Also, the existing seismic provisions account for the non-linear response of an RC building frame implicitly by specifying a constant response modification factor (R) in a linear elastic design. However, the 'R' specified does not address the changes in structural configurations of RC moment-resisting frames (RC MRFs) viz., building height, number of bays present, bay width, irregularities arising out of mass and stiffness changes, etc. resulting in changed dynamic characteristics of the structural system. Hence, there is an imperative need to assess the seismic performance under sequential earthquake ground motions, considering the adequacy of code-specified 'R' in the representation of dynamic characteristics of RC buildings. Therefore, the present research is focused on the evaluation of the non-linear response of medium-rise 3D RC MRFs with and without vertical irregularities under bi-directional sequential earthquake ground motions using non-linear dynamic analysis. It is evident from the results that collapse probability increases, and 'R' reduces significantly for various RC MRFs subjected to sequential earthquakes, pronouncing the vulnerability and inadequacy of estimation of design base shear by code-specified 'R' under sequential earthquakes.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.57-74
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the BSC model's non-financial factors such as learning and growth, internal process, customer and financial factor in general hospitals. To achieve research purpose, the data were collected from 293 employees of 5 hospitals using a standardized questionnaires which were constructed to include BSC model, and applied the structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between non-financial and financial factor. The results show that the learning and growth factor of the model has positive effects of the internal process and customer factor. The internal process and customer factor are strongly related to financial factor. Hospitals have to know non-financial factor which has positively relate to financial factor. Therefore, the results of this study help to enhance the health care center to become aligned and focused on implementing the long-term competitive strategy. This study proposes an effective performance indicators for general hospitals and it is expected to be likely to have positive influence upon enhancing services of general hospitals.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.49-65
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• 2013

This article presents the statistical characteristics of elastic floor acceleration spectra that represent the peak response demand of non-structural components attached to a nonlinear supporting frame. For this purpose, a set of stiff and flexible general moment resisting frames with periods of 0.3-3.6 sec. are analyzed using forty-nine near-field strong ground motion records. Peak accelerations are derived for each single degree of freedom non-structural component, supported by the above mentioned frames, through a direct-integration time-history analysis. These accelerations are obtained by Floor Acceleration Response Spectrum (FARS) method. They are statistically analyzed in the next step to achieve a better understanding of their height-wise distributions. The factors that affect FARS values are found in the relevant state of the art. Here, they are summarized to evaluate the amplification and/or reduction of FARS values especially when the supporting structures undergo inelastic behavior. The properties of FARS values are studied in three regions: long-period, fundamental-period and short-period. Maximum elastic acceleration response of non-structural component, mounted on inelastic frames, depends on the following factors: inelasticity intensity and modal periods of supporting structure; natural period, damping ratio and location of non-structural component. The FARS values, corresponded to the modal periods of supporting structure, are strongly reduced beyond elastic domain. However, they could be amplified in the transferring period domain between the mentioned modal periods. In the next step, the amplification and/or reduction of FARS values, caused by inelastic behavior of supporting structure, are calculated. A parameter called the response acceleration reduction factor ($R_{acc}$), has been previously used for far-field earthquakes. The feasibility of extending this parameter for near-field motions is focused here, suggested repeatedly in the relevant sources. The nonlinearity of supporting structure is included in ($R_{acc}$) for better estimation of maximum non-structural component absolute acceleration demand, which is ordinarily neglected in the seismic design provisions.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.611-623
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• 2019

A set of mid-rise bare and uniformly infilled reinforced-concrete frame buildings are analyzed for two different seismic intensities of ground-motions (i.e., 'Design Basis Earthquake' and 'Maximum Considered Earthquake') to study their floor response. The crucial parameters affecting seismic design force for acceleration-sensitive non-structural components are studied and compared with the guidelines of the European and the United States standards, and also with the recently developed NIST provisions. It is observed that the provisions of both the European and the United States standards do not account for the effects of the period of vibration of the supporting structure and seismic intensity of ground-motions and thereby provides conservative estimates of the in-structure amplification. In case of bare frames, the herein derived component amplification factors for both the design basis earthquake and the maximum considered earthquake exceeds with their recommended values in the European and the United States standards for non-structural components having periods in vicinity of the higher modes of vibration, whereas, in case of infilled frames, component amplification factors exceeds with their recommended value in the European standard for non-structural components having periods in vicinity of the fundamental mode of vibration, and only for the design basis earthquake. As a consequence of these observations, as well as capping on the design force (in case of United states standard and NIST provisions), in case of the design basis earthquake, the combined amplification factor is underestimated for non-structural components having periods in vicinity of the higher modes of vibration of bare frames, and also for non-structural components having periods in vicinity of the fundamental mode of vibration of infilled frames. At the maximum considered earthquake demand, excepting non-structural components having periods in vicinity of the higher modes of vibration of bare frames, all provisions generally provide conservative estimates of the design floor accelerations.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2023

Structures of high-rise buildings are less prone to earthquake damage. This is because the response acceleration of high-rise buildings appears to be small by generally occurring short-period ground motions. However, due to the increased construction volume of high-rise buildings and concerns about large earthquakes, long-period ground motions have begun to be recognized as a risk factor for high-rise buildings. Ground motion observed on each floor of the building is affected by the eigenmode of the building because the ground motion input to the building is amplified in the frequency range corresponding to the building's natural frequency. In addition, long-period components of ground motion are more easily transmitted to the floor or attached components of the building than short-period components. As such, high-rise buildings and non-structural components pose concerns about long-period ground motion. However, the criteria (ASCE 7-22) underestimate the acceleration response of buildings and non-structural components caused by long-period ground motion. Therefore, the characteristics of buildings' acceleration response amplification ratio and non-structural components were reviewed in this study through shake table tests considering long-period ground motions.