• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2019

${\alpha}B$-crystallin (${\alpha}BC$) is a member of a small heat-shock protein (sHSP) superfamily and plays a predominant role in cellular protein homeostasis network by rescuing misfolded proteins from irreversible aggregation. ${\alpha}BC$ assembles into dynamic and polydisperse high molecular weight complexes containing 12 to 48 monomers; this variable stereochemistry of ${\alpha}BC$ has been linked to quaternary subunit exchange and its chaperone activity. The chaperone activity of ${\alpha}BC$ poses great potential as therapeutic agents for various neurodegenerative diseases. In this mini-review, we briefly outline the recent advancement in structural characterization of ${\alpha}BCs$ and its potential role to inhibit protein misfolding and aggregation in various human diseases. In particular, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and its complimentary techniques have contributed much to elucidate highly-dynamic nature of ${\alpha}BCs$, among which notable advancements are discussed in detail. We highlight the importance of resolving the structural details of various ${\alpha}BC$ oligomers, their quaternary dynamics, and structural heterogeneity.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.70 no.2
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• pp.221-231
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• 2019

This paper performs for the first time a simultaneous optimization for members sections along with semi-rigid beam-to-column connections for space steel frames with fixed, semi-rigid, and hinged bases using a biogeography-based optimization algorithm (BBO) and a genetic algorithm (GA). Furthermore, a member's sections optimization for a fully fixed space frame is carried out. A real and accurate simulation of semi-rigid connection behavior is considered in this study, where the semi-rigid base connections are simulated using Kanvinde and Grilli (2012) nonlinear model, which considers deformations in different base connection components under the applied loads, while beam-to-column connections are modeled using the familiar Frye and Morris (1975) nonlinear polynomial model. Moreover, the $P-{\Delta}$ effect and geometric nonlinearity are considered. AISC-LRFD (2016) specification constraints of the stress and displacement are considered as well as section size fitting constraints. The optimization is applied to two benchmark space frame examples to inspect the effect of semi-rigidity on frame weight and drift using BBO and GA algorithms.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.18-25
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• 2020

This study investigated the structural behaviors and safety of an electro-mechanical linear actuator and a load simulator with a plate spring. The material and dimensions of the plate spring were determined by theoretically calculating the stress and torsional angle for the rating load of the actuator. Thereafter, a flexible multibody dynamics (FMBD) analysis was conducted on the linear actuator and load simulator to confirm the performance of the load simulator and acquire the reaction forces acting on the actuator and simulator. The structural safety of the linear actuator and load simulator was evaluated via finite element analysis using the aforementioned reaction forces. Consequently, the proposed linear actuator and load simulator were determined to be structurally safe; however, the safety factors for the actuation rod and the housing on the actuator were excessively high. Therefore, the weight and cost must be reduced to improve their design parameters in the future.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.267-280
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• 2022

Multiscale structure has attracted significant interest due to its high stiffness/strength to weight ratios and multifunctional performance. However, most of the existing concurrent topology optimization works are carried out under deterministic load conditions. Hence, this paper proposes a robust concurrent topology optimization method based on the bidirectional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method for the design of structures composed of periodic microstructures subjected to uncertain dynamic loads. The robust objective function is defined as the weighted sum of the mean and standard deviation of the module of dynamic structural compliance with constraints are imposed to both macro- and microscale structure volume fractions. The polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) method is used to quantify and propagate load uncertainty to evaluate the objective function. The effective properties of microstructure is evaluated by the numerical homogenization method. To release the computation burden, the decoupled sensitivity analysis method is proposed for microscale design variables. The proposed method is a non-intrusive method, and it can be conveniently extended to many topology optimization problems with other distributions. Several numerical examples are used to validate the effectiveness of the proposed robust concurrent topology optimization method.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.737-744
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• 2021

In this study, structural health monitoring (SHM) methods of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) were investigated using electrical resistance. The developed sensing technique monitored electrical resistance in accordance with the impact damage of a CFRP. The changes in electrical resistances with multiple electrode sets enabled SHM without extra sensors so that this technique can be called self-sensing. Moreover, this study proposed electrodes only at peripheral side of a structure to minimize the number of electrodes compared to those in an array which has square number of sensors as the sensing area increases. For the intensive investigation, electromechanical sensitivity in terms of electrode distance was analyzed and optimized under drop weight impact testing. Then, SHM methods with electrodes in an array and electrodes in peripheral edges were comparatively investigated. The developed methods successfully localized impact damages into 2D coordinates. Furthermore, damage severity can be shown with a damage map by calculating electrical resistance change ratio. Therefore, structural health self-sensing system using electrical resistance was successfully developed with the minimum number of electrodes.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.339-353
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• 2023

The primary objective of the current study is to optimize and evaluate the seismic performance of steel momentresisting frame (MRF) structures considering soil-structure interaction (SSI) effects. The structural optimization is implemented in the context of performance-based design in accordance with FEMA-350 at different confidence levels from 50% to 90% by taking into account fixed- and flexible-base conditions using an efficient metaheuristic algorithm. Nonlinear response-history analysis (NRHA) is conducted to evaluate the seismic response of structures, and the beam-on-nonlinear Winkler foundation (BNWF) model is used to simulate the soil-foundation interaction under the MRFs. The seismic performance of optimally designed fixed- and flexible-base steel MRFs are compared in terms of overall damage index, seismic collapse safety, and interstory drift ratios at different performance levels. Two illustrative examples of 6- and 12-story steel MRFs are presented. The results show that the consideration of SSI in the optimization process of 6- and 12-story steel MRFs results in an increase of 1.0 to 9.0 % and 0.5 to 5.0 % in structural weight and a slight decrease in structural seismic safety at different confidence levels.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2015.10a
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• pp.564-567
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• 2015

The incorporation of sustainability principles into the structural engineering design of buildings is increasingly important. Historically the focus of improvements to the environmental performance of structures has been operational energy considerations. Current research has highlighted the requirement for changing the approach by increasing the consideration of embodied energy in structures. This research was conducted to build on previous research by the authors in quantifying the contribution of column optimization to the embodied energy performance of concrete framed buildings. Ultimately, the authors intend to develop mechanisms through which sustainable design can be quantified, enabling alleviation prior to construction. Columns are a key structural element to consider as part of this development process. The outcomes of this assessment reinforced previous findings, observing that reduced structural weight as a result of other sustainable design measures carries manifold benefits include column design savings. Through the quantification of the embodied energy outcomes during this research phase, the columns were shown to contribute up to 19.71% of the total embodied energy of the structural system dependent upon construction technique used.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.825-831
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• 2023

The propellers used for big ships have a large diameter and are very heavy. In order to apply a precise and safe work process to them, it is necessary to use an exclusive turning system. For this reason, various techniques are applied to produce them. However, workers' convenience and safety are not taken into consideration enough at production sites. Conventionally, these propellers are designed to be separated as their turning system is loaded and rotated by empty weight. Therefore, it is necessary to replace such a design. This study tries to find the weaknesses of the design and structure of a conventional propeller turning system for large ships, to verify structure integrity of a structure in structural analysis, and to devise a plan for designing a new type of turning system. In the basic concept design and structural analysis for the turning system used in the propeller finishing process for large ships, this study drew the following conclusions. It was possible to develop the work process of the turning system for the propeller finishing process used for large ships, to obtain the dimensions for exterior design through a basic design. Structural analysis was conducted to find the structure integrity of the turning system. As a result, in the rail installed to transfer a gantry, the maximum stress was about 45MPa, about 5.5 times lower than the yield strength 250MPa. Therefore, the turning system was judged to be safe structurally.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.5
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• pp.493-504
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• 2024

This paper presents the methodology and results for the investigation of the structural safety of 40 aged underground water tanks to support the weight of photovoltaic (PV) systems that were supposed to be placed on their roof reinforced concrete (RC) slabs. The investigation procedure included (1) review of available documents; (2) visual inspection of the roof RC slabs; (3) carrying out a series of nondestructive (ND) tests; and (4) analysis of results. Out of the 40 tanks, eleven failed the visual inspection phase and were discarded from further investigation. The roof RC slabs of the tanks that passed the visual inspection were subjected to a series of ND tests that included infrared thermography, impact echo, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), Schmidt hammer, concrete core compressive strength, and water-soluble chloride content. The NDT results proved that eight more tanks were not suitable to support the PV systems. Based on the results of the visual inspection and testing, a probabilistic decision-making criterion was established to reach a decision regarding the structural integrity of the roof slabs. The study concluded that the condition of the drainage filter was essential in protecting the tanks and its intact presence can be used as a strong indication of the structural integrity of the roof RC slabs.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2024

Self-compacting concrete is widely used around the globe today due to its special and unique properties. This study examines the effect of natural and crushed gravel combinations in different percentages in short-and long-term properties of concrete. The best utilized sand had a fineness modulus of 2.7. In the mentioned mix designs, silica fume was used with 0 and 7% of the weight of the cement. In order to check the properties of fresh and hardened concrete, 9 and 5 test types were performed, respectively. The carried out tests were slump flow, V-funnel, J-ring, L-box, U-box and column segregation for fresh concrete, and compressive, tensile and flexural strengths for hardened concrete. A mix with only 100% natural gravel was considered as the control mix. According to the results, the control mix design and the one containing 100% crushed gravel with silica fume were the best in fresh and hardened concrete tests, respectively. Finally, using the optimization method, a mix design with 25% natural gravel, 75% crushed gravel and silica fume was introduced as the best mix in terms of the results of both fresh and hardened concrete tests.