• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.65-80
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• 2023

To explore the effect of Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) on improving the progressive collapse resistance of reinforced concrete frames under a middle column removal scenario, six beam-column substructures were tested by quasistatic vertical loading. Among the six specimens, four were ECC-concrete composite specimens consisting of different depth of ECC at the bottom or top of the beam and concrete in the rest of the beam, while the other two are ordinary reinforced concrete specimens with different concrete strength grades for comparison. The experimental results demonstrated that ECC-concrete composite specimens can improve the bearing capacity of a beam-column substructure at the stages of compressive arch action (CAA) and catenary action in comparison with ordinary concrete specimen. Under the same depth of ECC, the progressive collapse resistance of a specimen with ECC at the beam bottom was superior to that at the beam top. With the increase of the proportion of ECC arranged at the beam bottom, the bearing capacity of a composite substructure was increased, but the increase rate slows down with the proportion. Meanwhile, the nonlinear numerical analysis software MSC Marc was used to simulate the whole loading process of the six specimens. Theoretical formulas to calculate the capacities of ECC-concrete composite specimens at the stages of flexural action, CAA and catenary action are proposed. Based on the research results, this study suggests that ECC should be laid out at the beam bottom and the layout depth should be within 25% of the total beam depth.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.86 no.6
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• pp.739-750
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• 2023

This study examines the two-level behavior of the toggle brace damper within a steel frame having a yielding pipe damper and rotational friction damper. The proposed system has two kinds of fuse for energy dissipation in two stages. In this mechanism, rotational friction damper rather than hinged connection is used in toggle brace system, connected to a pipe damper with a limited gap. In order to create a gap, bolted connection with the slotted hole is used, such that first a specific movement of the rotational friction damper solely is engaged but with an increase in movement, the yielding damper is also involved. The performance of the system is such that at the beginning of loading the rotational friction damper, as the first fuse, absorbs energy and with increasing the input load and further movement of the frame, yielding damper as the second fuse, along with rotational friction damper would dissipate the input energy. The models created by ABAQUS are subjected to cyclic and seismic loading. Considering the results obtained, the flexibility of the hybrid two-level system is more comparable to the conventional toggle brace damper. Moreover, this system sustains longer lateral displacements. The energy dissipation of these two systems is modeled in multi-story frames in SAP2000 software and their performance is analyzed using time-history analysis. According to the results, permanent relocations of the roof in the two-level system, in comparison with toggle brace damper system in 2, 5, and 8-story building frames, in average, decrease by 15, 55, and 37% respectively. This amount in a 5-story building frame under the earthquakes with one-third scale decreases by 64%.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.2
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• pp.181-197
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• 2024

A numerical method is presented in this paper, for buckling analysis of thin arbitrary stiffened composite cylindrical shells under axial compression. The stiffeners can be placed inside and outside of the shell. The shell and stiffeners are operated as discrete elements, and their interactions are taking place through the compatibility conditions along their intersecting lines. The governing equations of motion are obtained based on Koiter's theory and solved by utilizing the principle of the minimum potential energy. Then, the buckling load coefficient and the critical buckling load are computed by solving characteristic equations. In this formulation, the elastic and geometric stiffness matrices of a single curved strip of the shell and stiffeners can be located anywhere within the shell element and in any direction are provided. Moreover, five stiffened composite shell specimens are made and tested under axial compression loading. The reliability of the presented method is validated by comparing its numerical results with those of commercial software, experiments, and other published numerical results. In addition, by using the ANSYS code, a 3-D finite element model that takes the exact geometric arrangement and the properties of the stiffeners and the shell into consideration is built. Finally, the effects of Poisson's ratio, shell length-to-radius ratio, shell thickness, cross-sectional area, angle, eccentricity, torsional stiffness, numbers and geometric configuration of stiffeners on the buckling of stiffened composite shells with various end conditions are computed. The results gained can be used as a meaningful benchmark for researchers to validate their analytical and numerical methods.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.87-110
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• 2019

The Fintech services provide innovation to financial services users using various mobile devices and computers in wired and wireless communication environments. In this study, we develope a theoretical research framework to explain the psychology of Fintech services users based on a cognitive, affective, and conative framework. Using this framework, this study analyzes the relationships between the cognitive characteristics (i.e., innovation, relative advantage, ease of use, and usefulness), emotional characteristic (i.e., attitude), and behavioral characteristic (i.e., actual use) toward Fintech services users. This study conducted an online survey of people who have experienced using Fintech services. And the data of the collected Fintech services users was analyzed using structural equation model software (i.e., SMART PLS 2.0 M3). The results of the empirical analysis show the relationships between innovation, relative advantage, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, and actual use of Fintech service users. The results of this study provide useful information to improve the practical use of Fintech services users in the Internet of Things (IoT) environment.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.358-367
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• 2023

Background: This study aimed to develop and assess the psychometric features of the Physical Activity at Workplace Questionnaire (PAWPQ) based on the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to evaluate employees' physical activity (PA) behaviors at the workplace. Methods: This psychometric cross-sectional study was conducted on 455 employees working in one of the gas refineries in Iran. The participants were selected using the proportional stratified sampling method in 2019. The data collection tools were a demographic information questionnaire, the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and a questionnaire developed based on the SCT, whose psychometric features were confirmed in terms of validity and reliability. Data were analyzed using SPSS₂₂ and AMOS₂₀ software. Results: The first version of PAWPQ-SCT had 74 items. After evaluating content and face validity, nine items were removed. The results of the content validity index (0.98), content validity ratio (0.86), and impact score (3.62) were acceptable for the whole instrument. In exploratory factor analysis, after removing seven items-58-item final version of the scale-six factors could explain 73.54% of the total variance. The results of structural equation modeling showed the acceptable fit of the model into the data (RMSEA = 0.052, CFI = 0.917, NFI = 0.878, TLI = 0.905, IFI = 0.917, CMIN/DF = 2.818). Cronbach's alpha coefficient and Intraclass Correlation were 0.90 and 0.86, respectively. Conclusion: This study confirmed that the psychometric features of the 58-item final version of PAWPQSCT constructs were acceptable in a sample of Iranian employees. This questionnaire can be used as a valid and reliable tool to evaluate Iranian employees' PA behaviors and develop effective educational interventions for workers and managers.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.867-878
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• 2024

This study attempted to investigate the effects of academic stress and self-esteem on problem-solving ability among nursing college students of adult learners who are 25 years of age or older. A structural surveys was conducted on 180 nursing college students of adult learners who understood the purpose of the research and consented to participate. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 18.0 software. The results revealed that the problem-solving ability of the subjects showed a negative correlation with academic stress (r=-.319, p<.001) and a positive correlation with self-esteem (r=.533, p<.001). The primary factors influencing problem-solving ability were found to be self-esteem (𝛽=.48, p<.001). Therefore, to enhance problem-solving abilities among adult nursing students, it is necessary to develop various counseling and educational programs aimed at increasing self-esteem. Considering the increasing proportion of adult learners in universities, policies and systems for customized curricular education and extra-curricular curriculum for not only school-age learners but also adult learners are required.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.627-645
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• 2024

Punching shear is a brittle failure that occurs within the RC flat slabs where stresses are concentrated within small regions, resulting in a catastrophic and unfavorable progressive collapse. However, increasing the slab slenderness ratio is believed to significantly affect the slab's behavior by the induced strain values throughout the slab depth. This study examines the punching shear behavior of flat slabs by the nonlinear finite element analysis approach using ABAQUS software, where 72 models were investigated. The parametric study includes the effect of opening existence, opening-to-column ratio (O/C), temperature level, slenderness ratio (L/d), and flexural reinforcement rebar diameter. The behavior of the punching shear failure was fully examined under elevated temperatures which was not previously considered in detail along with the combined effect of the other sensitive parameters (opening size, slab slenderness, and reinforcement rebar size). It has been realized that increasing the slab slenderness has a major role in affecting the slab's structural behavior, besides the effect of the flexural reinforcement ratio. Reducing the slab's slenderness from 18.27 to 5.37 increased the cracking load by seven times for the slab without openings compared to nine times for the initial stiffness value. In addition, the toughness capacity is reduced up to 80% upon creating an opening, where the percentage is further increased by increasing the opening size by about an additional 10%. Finally, the ultimate deflection capacity of flat slabs with an opening is increased compared to the solid slab with the enhancement being increased for openings of larger size, larger depths, and higher exposure temperature.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.10
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• pp.4412-4422
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• 2024

The CFETR multipurpose overload robot (CMOR) is a critical component of the fusion reactor remote handling system. To accurately calculate and visualize the structural deformation and stress characteristics of the CMOR motion process, this paper first establishes a CMOR kinematic model to analyze the unfolding and working process in the vacuum chamber. Then, the dynamic model of CMOR is established using the Lagrangian method, and the rigid-flexible coupling modeling of CMOR links and joints is achieved using the finite element method and the linear spring damping equivalent model. The co-simulation results of the CMOR rigid-flexible coupled model show that when the end load is 2000 kg, the extreme value of the end-effector position error is more than 0.12 m, and the maximum stress value is 1.85 × 10⁸ Pa. To utilize the stress-strain data of CMOR, this paper designs a CMOR morphology prediction control system based on Unity software. Implanting CMOR finite element analysis data into the Unity environment, researchers can monitor the stress strain generated by different motion trajectories of the CMOR robotic arm in the control system. It provides a platform for subsequent research on CMOR error compensation and extreme operation warnings.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.727-736
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• 2021

Road tunnel lengths are increasing. Some 1,300 tunnels with 1,102 km in length had been increased till 2019 from 2010. There are 64 tunnels over 3,000 m in length, with their total length adding up to 276.7 km. Safety facilities in the event of a tunnel fire are critical so as to prevent large-scale casualties. Standards for installing disaster prevention facilities are being proposed based on the guidelines of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, but they may be limited to deep underground tunnels. This study was undertaken to provide guidelines for the spacing of evacuation connection passages and the widths of evacuation connection doors. Evacuation with various spacing and widths was simulated in regards to evacuation time, which is the measure of safety, using the evacuation analysis simulation software EXODUS Ver.6.3 and the fire/smoke analysis software SMARTFIRE Ver.4.1. Evacuation connection gates with widths of 0.9 m and 1.2 m, and spacings of 150 m to 250 m, were set to every 20 m. In addition, longitudinal slopes of 6 % and 0 % were considered. It was determined to be safe when the evacuation completion time was shorter than the delay diffusion time. According to the simulation results, all occupants could complete evacuation before smoke spread regardless of the width of the evacuation connection door when the longitudinal slope was 6 % and the interval of evacuation connection passage was 150 m. When the evacuation connection passage spacing was 200 m and the evacuation connection gate width was 1.2 m, all occupants could evacuate when the longitudinal slope was 0 %. Due to difference in evacuation speed according to the longitudinal slope, the evacuation time with a 6 % slope was 114 seconds shorter (with the 190 m connection passage) than with a 0 % slope. A shorter spacing of evacuation connection passages may reduce the evacuation time, but this is difficult to implement in practice because of economic and structural limitations. If the width of the evacuation junction is 1.2 m, occupants could evacuate faster than with a 0.9 m width. When the width of a connection door is 1.2 m with appropriate connection passage spacing, it might provide a means to increase economic efficiency and resolve structural limitations while securing evacuation safety.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.525-533
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• 2010

Direct time integration method such as Newmark method is numerically performed under the assumption that continuous load function such as constant amplitude load can be treated as a discontinuous load fuction. It is due that the load can be treated as a constant value at the given time period regardless of variation of load at the time increment interval. It means the numerical results should be accompanied by the error due to approximation of load fuction. In contrast, the load function is calculated by convolution integral for the given time interval at finite element equation based on Gurtin's variation equation. Therefore. precise numerical results can be obtained by Gurtin's method because of convolution integral for the continuous load fuction curve even at the variation of load function in the given time interval. In this study, we prove that Gurtin's method can be more suitable than Newmark method in the problem of constant amplitude loading, using the numerical results for the free end of the one-dimensional rod. This study also shows that Gurtin's method is more effective in constant amplitude loading than in constant loading. The accuracy and the validity are verified by comparison between the results of in-house FORTRAN code and ADINA, a commercial software supporting Newmark method.