• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2014

Tendon elasticity is an important factor affecting muscle function and thus human movements. It has been reported that the mechanical properties of tendon are adaptable to external loading condition. Based on the adaptability of muscle and tendon to external loading conditions, one can assume that there might be an optimum ratio between muscle strength and tendon stiffness. The present study aimed to investigate whether there is correlation between plantar flexor muscle strength and stiffness of the achilles tendon (AT). Twenty two male subjects (age: $23.2{\pm}1.5yrs$, height: $175.5{\pm}6.2cm$, weight: $75.4{\pm}9.8kg$) performed maximum voluntary isometric plantarflexion on a custom-built dynamometer and muscle-tendon junction of the medial gastrocnemius muscle was simultaneously monitored using a real-time ultrasound imaging machine. The averages of muscle force and tendon stiffness were $366.38{\pm}79.37N$, $35.34{\pm}10.42N/mm$, respectively. Significant positive correlation was observed between muscle strength and tendon stiffness (r=0.8507), indicating that the muscle force is proportional to tendon stiffness. The results might have been used in computational modeling and criterion of training progress level in the fields of training and rehabilitation.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.1013-1021
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• 2001

A series of rabbit common extensor tendon specimens of the humeral epicondyle were subjected to tensile tests under two displacement rates (100mm/min and 10mm/min) and different elbow flexion positions 45°, 90°and 135°. Biomechanical properties of ultimate tensile strength, failure strain, energy absorption and stiffness of the bone-tendon specimen were determined. Statistically significant differences were found in ultimate tensile strength, failure strain, energy absorption and stiffness of bone-tendon specimens as a consequence of different elbow flexion angles and displacement rates. The results indicated that the bone-tendon specimens at the 45°elbow flexion had the lowest ultimate tensile strength; this flexion angle also had the highest failure strain and the lowest stiffness compared to other elbow flexion positions. In comparing the data from two displacement rates, bone-tendon specimens had lower ultimate tensile strength at all flexion angles when tested at the 10mm/min displacement rate. These results indicate that creep damage occurred during the slow displacement rate. The major failure mode of bone-tendon specimens during tensile testing changed from 100% of midsubstance failure at the 90°and 135°elbow flexion to 40% of bone-tendon origin failure at 45°. We conclude that failure mechanics of the bone-tendon unit of the lateral epicondyle are substantially affected by loading direction and displacement rate.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.805-819
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• 2016

The numerical simulation methodologies to evaluate the structural behaviors of prestressed concrete containment vessels (PCCVs) have been substantially developed in recent decades. However, there remain several issues to be investigated more closely to narrow the gap between test results and numerical simulations. As one of those issues, the effects of no stiffness inside unbonded tendon ducts on the behavior of PCCVs are investigated in this study. Duct holes for prestressing cables' passing are provided inside the containment wall and dome in one to three directions for general PCCVs. The specific stress distribution along the periphery of the prestressing duct hole and the loss of stiffness inside the hole, especially in an unbonded tendon system, are usually neglected in the analysis of PCCVs with the assumption that the duct hole is filled with concrete. However, duct holes are not small enough to be neglected. In this study, the effects of no stiffness inside the unbonded tendon system on the behaviors of PCCVs are evaluated using both analytical and numerical approaches. From the results, the effects of no stiffness in unbonded tendons need to be considered in numerical simulations for PCCVs, especially under internal pressure loading.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.651-652
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• 2010

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.103-110
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• 2020

Bio-inspired underwater robots have been studied to improve the dynamic performance of fins, such as swimming speed and efficiency, which is the most basic performance. Among them, bio-inspired soft robots with a compliant tail fin can have high degrees of freedom. On the other hand, to improve the driving efficiency of the compliant fins, the stiffness of the tail fin should be changed with the driving frequency. Therefore, a new type of variable stiffness mechanism has been developed and verified. This study, which was inspired by the anatomy of a real dolphin, assessed a process of designing and manufacturing a robotic dolphin with a variable stiffness mechanism. By mimicking the vertebrae of a dolphin, the variable stiffness driving part was manufactured using subtractive and additive manufacturing. A driving tendon was placed considering the location of the tendon in the actual dolphin, and the additional tendon was installed to change its stiffness. A robotic dolphin was designed and manufactured in a streamlined shape, and the swimming speed was measured by varying the stiffness. When the stiffness of the tail fin was varied at the same driving frequency, the swimming speed and thrust changed by approximately 1.24 and 1.5 times, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.23-28
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• 2001

Since non-corrosive Fiber Reinforced Polymer(FRP) tendons have been in increasing use for underground and coastal structures constantly contacted with fresh water or sea water because of their superiority to metallic ones in corrosion-resistance, new non-metallic anchoring system for FRP tendons has been developed and investigated to verify the effectiveness of tendon force, which consist of mainly FRP pipes and Highly Expansive Mortar(HEM). The major factors considered in this experiment were expansive pressures of HEM during its hydration, sleeve lengths and types, and anchoring methods of tendon. New anchoring system were investigated from the pull-out tests. The pull-out procedures of the FRP tendons in the various pipe filled with HEM were analyzed and improved ideas were suggested to develop novel non-metallic anchoring system for FRP tendons The pull-out tests for the FRP tendon and new non-metallic anchoring system were conducted. The results show that non-metallic anchoring system for the FRP tendon has been more stablized due to the gradual expansive pressrure of HEM, as tims goes. Since tile lower stiffness of FRP pipes causes the weakness of anchoring force, it requires the increase of stiffness using a carbon fiber or an increased section area.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.82-91
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• 1996

This is a basic study for the static and dynamic analysis on the elasto-plastic and elasto-viscoplastic of an axi-symmetric shell. The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanical characteristics of a nuclear reinforced concrete containment structure, which was selected as a model, by a numerical analysis using a finite element method. The structure was modeled with discrete ring elements of 8-noded isoparametric element rotating against the symmetrical axis, and the interaction between the foundation and the structure was modeled by Winkler's model. Also, the meridional tendon was modeled with 2-node truss elements, and the hoop tendon was done with point elements in two degrees of freedom. The effect of the tendon was considered without the increasement in total degree of freedom as the stiffness matrix of modeled tendon elements was assembled on the stiffness matrix of ring elements linked with the tendon. The results obtained from the analysis of an example were summarized as follows : 1. The stresses in the hoop direction on the interior and exterior surfaces of the structure were shown in changes of similar trend, and high stresses appeared on the structure wall 2. The stresses in the meridional direction on the interior and exterior surfaces were shown in change of different trend. Especially, the stresses at the junctions between the dome and the wall and between the wall and the bottom plate of the structure were very high, compared with those at other parts of the structure. 3. The stress changes in the direction of thickness on the crown of the dome were much linearly distributed. However, as the amount of tendon increased, the stresses in the upper and lower parts of the wall established with the tendon were shown stress concentration. 4. The stress changes in the direction of thickness on the center of the structure wall was linearly distributed in the all cases, and special stress due to the use of the tendon was not shown.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.195-200
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• 2001

Numerical procedures for the geometrically nonlinear finite element analysis of prestressed concrete shell structures under tendon-induced nonconservative loads have been presented. The equivalent load approach is employed to realize the effect of prestressing tendon. In this study, the tendon-induced nonconservative loads are rigorously formulated into the load correction stiffness matrix(LCSM) taking the characteristics of Present shell element into account. Also, improved nonlinear formulations of a shell element are used by including second order rotations in the displacement field. Numerical example shows that beneficial effect on the convergence behavior can be obtained by the realistic evaluation of tangent stiffness matrix according to the present approaches.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.1011-1015
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• 2003

The objectives of this work focus on the differences in responses of paired tendons from different anatomical locations. Tendon specimens were obtained from the hindlimbs of canines and frozen to -70$^{\circ}C$. After being thawed, specimens were mounted in the immersion bath, preloaded to 0.13N, and then subjected to 3% or 4% of the initial length at a strain rate of 5%/sec. It was found that the mechanical responses of anatomically paired tendons were nearly the same within each pair but different between pairs of tendons from different anatomical locations. Although flexor tendons had much larger cross-sectional area than the others, such as peroneus or extensor tendons, the stiffness of the flexor tendons were much lower than the others throughout their stress-strain responses. The nature and causes of these differences in the stiffness are not fully known. However, it is clear that differences in the mechanical response of tendons and other connective tissues are significant to the musculoskeletal performance.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.247-275
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• 2010

In this study, experimental, numerical, and analytical approaches were carried out to evaluate the behavior and prestressing effect of prestressed composite beam by external tendon and cover plate. Behavior of prestressed composite beam, load-carrying capacity, effects of prestressing, and ultimate strength were estimated. The contribution of the section increase of the prestressing method using tendon was less than the prestressing method using cover plate. In accordance with numerical and analytical approaches, the ultimate strength of the prestressed composite beam is shown to be the same value because strength is determined according to the plastic resistance moment and the plastic neutral axis; however, both plastic resistance moment and neutral axis are not affected by prestressing force but affected by sectional stiffness of the prestressing member. Based on these approaches, we concluded that the prestressing method using tendon can be useful in applications without an increase in self-weight, and the prestressing method using high-strength cover plate can be applied to reduce the deflection of the composite beam. The prestressing method using high-strength cover plate can also be used to induce prestress of the composite beam in the case of a large deflection due to a smaller sectional stiffness of the composite beam.