• Asian Spine Journal
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.1053-1059
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• 2018

Study Design: Retrospective review. Purpose: To detect the effect of cannulated (poly-axial head) and solid (mono-axial head) screws on the local kyphotic angle, vertebral body height, and superior and inferior angles between the screw and the rod in the surgical management of thoracolumbar fractures. Overview of Literature: Biomechanics studies showed that the ultimate load, yield strength, and cycles to failure were significantly lower with cannulated (poly-axial head) pedicle comparing to solid core (mono-axial head). Methods: The medical charts of patients with thoracolumbar fractures who underwent pedicle screw fixation with cannulated or solid pedicle screws were retrospectively reviewed; the subjects were followed up from January 2011 to December 2015. Results: Total 178 patients (average age, $36.1{\pm}12.4years$; men, 142 [84.3%]; women, 28 [15.7%]) with thoracolumbar fractures who underwent surgery and were followed up at Hamad Medical Corporation were classified, based on the screw type as those with cannulated screws and those with solid screws. The most commonly affected level was L1, followed by L2 and D12. Surgical correction of the local kyphotic angle was significantly different in the groups; however, there was no significant difference in the loss of correction of the local kyphotic angle of the groups. Surgical correction of the reduction in the vertebral body height showed statistical significance, while the average loss of correction in the reduction of the vertebral body height was not significantly different. The measurement of the angles made by the screws on the rods was not significantly different between the cannulated (poly-axial head) and solid (mono-axial head) screw groups. Conclusions: Solid screws were superior in terms of providing increased correction of the kyphotic angle and height of the fractured vertebra than the cannulated screws; however, no difference was noted between the screws in the maintenance of the superior and inferior angles of the screw with the rod.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.163-170
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• 2019

Durability of instrument is one of the most important factor to ensure accurate treatment and decrease failure for the orthopedic surgical operation. Normally, a set-screw driver tip has been processed with hard coating for their higher durability and wear resistance. And several surface modification methods were obtained such as titanium nitride (TiN) coating, diamond like carbon coating, other nitriding, and etc. In this study, we have surface modified on set-screw driver tip with TiN and DLC, investigated whether the TiN and DLC coatings affect the mechanical properties and durability of the set-screw driver tip in the pedicle screw system. The surface morphologies were observed with scanning-electron microscopy (SEM), and the static/dynamic torsional properties were investigated with universal testing machine based on ASTM F543. Coating thickness of each coatings were commonly around $1^{\circ}C$. Static torsional stiffness, and ultimate torque values for DLC and TiN coated samples were significantly higher than those of non-coated sample by the pared T-test. Surface morphology of after the dynamic torsional test was more clean with less scratch or friction traces from DLC coating than that of TiN coating and non-coated sample.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.145-156
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• 2019

As the industrial desire for a step change in productivity within the manufacture of composite structures increases, so does the interest in Through-Thickness Reinforcement technologies. As manufacturers look to increase the production rate, whilst reducing cost, Through-Thickness Reinforcement technologies represent valid methods to reinforce structural joints, as well as providing a potential alternative to mechanical fastening and bolting. The use of tufting promises to resolve the typically low delamination resistance, which is necessary when it comes to creating intersections within complex composite structures. Emerging methods include the use of 3D woven connectors, and orthogonally intersecting fibre packs, with the components secured by the selective insertion of microfasteners in the form of tufts. Intersections of this type are prevalent in aeronautical applications, as a typical connection to be found in aircraft wing structures, and their intersections with the composite skin and other structural elements. The common practice is to create back-to-back composite "L's", or to utilise a machined metallic connector, mechanically fastened to the remainder of the structure. 3D woven connectors and selective Through-Thickness Reinforcement promise to increase the ultimate load that the structure can bear, whilst reducing manufacturing complexity, increasing the load carrying capability and facilitating the automated production of parts of the composite structure. This paper provides an overview of the currently available methods for creating intersections within composite structures and compares them to alternatives involving the use of 3D woven connectors, and the application of selective Through-Thickness Reinforcement for enhanced damage tolerance. The use of tufts is investigated, and their effect on the load carrying ability of the structure is examined. The results of mechanical tests are presented for each of the methods described, and their failure characteristics examined.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2019

This paper presents a computational rational model to predict the ultimate and optimized load capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened by a combination of longitudinal and transverse fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite plates/sheets (flexure and shear strengthening system). Several experimental and analytical studies on the confinement effect and failure mechanisms of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) wrapped columns have been conducted over recent years. Although typical axial members are large-scale square/rectangular reinforced concrete (RC) columns in practice, the majority of such studies have concentrated on the behavior of small-scale circular concrete specimens. A high performance concrete, known as polymer concrete, made up of natural aggregates and an orthophthalic polyester binder, reinforced with non-metallic bars (glass reinforced polymer) has been studied. The material is described at micro and macro level, presenting the key physical and mechanical properties using different experimental techniques. Furthermore, a full description of non-metallic bars is presented to evaluate its structural expectancies, embedded in the polymer concrete matrix. In this paper, the mechanism of mechanical interaction of smooth and lugged FRP rods with concrete is presented. A general modeling and application of various elements are demonstrated. The contact parameters are defined and the procedures of calculation and evaluation of contact parameters are introduced. The method of calibration of the calculated parameters is presented. Finally, the numerical results are obtained for different bond parameters which show a good agreement with experimental results reported in literature.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.180-190
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• 2021

Purpose. This study aimed to assess the influence of various micromechanical surface conditioning (MSC) strategies with or without coupling agent (silane) application on the micro-shear bond strength (µSBS) of resin- matrix ceramics (RMCs). Materials and Methods. GC Cerasmart (GC), Lava Ultimate (LU), Vita Enamic (VE), Voco Grandio (VG), and Brilliant Crios (BC) were cut into 1.0-mm-thick slices (n = 32 per RMC) and separated into four groups according to the MSC strategy applied: control-no conditioning (C), air-borne particle abrasion with aluminum oxide particles (APA), 2W- and 3W-Er,Cr:YSGG group coding is missing. The specimens in each group were further separated into silane-applied and silane-free subgroups. Each specimen received two resin cement microtubules (n = 8 per subgroup). A shear force was applied to the adhesive interface through a universal test machine and µSBS values were measured. Data were statistically analyzed by using 3-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD test. Failure patterns were scrutinized under stereomicroscope. Results. RMC material type, MSC strategy, and silanization influenced the µSBS values (P<.05). In comparison to the control group, µSBS values increased after all other MSC strategies (P<.05) while the differences among these strategies were insignificant (P>.05). For control and APA, there were insignificant differences between RMCs (P>.05). The silanization decreased µSBS values of RMCs except for VE. Considerable declines were observed in GC and BC (P<.05). Conclusion. MSC strategies can enhance bond strength values at the RMC - cement interface. However, the choice of MSC strategy is dependent on RMC material type and each RMC can require a dedicated way of conditioning.

• International journal of steel structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1525-1540
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• 2018

A test rig with multi-functional purposes was specifically designed and manufactured to study the behavior of multi-planar welded tubular joints subjected to multi-planar concurrent axial loading. An experimental investigation was conducted on full-scale welded tubular joints with each consisting of one chord and eight braces under monotonic loading conditions. Two pairs or four representative specimens (two specimens for each joint type) were tested, in which each pair was reinforced with two kinds of different internal stiffeners at the intersections between the chords using welded rectangular hollow steel sections (RHSSs) and the braces using rolled circular hollow steel sections (CHSSs) and welded RHSSs. The effects of different internal stiffeners at the chord-brace intersection on the load capacity of joints under concurrent multi-planar axial compression/tension are discussed. The test results of joint strengths, failure modes, and load-stress curves are presented. Finite element analyses were performed to verify the experimental results. The study results show that the two different joint types with the internal stiffeners at the chord-brace intersection under axial compression/tension significantly increase the corresponding ultimate strength to far exceed the usual design strength. The load carrying capacity of welded tubular joints decreases with a higher degree of the manufacturing imperfection in individual braces at the tubular joints. Furthermore, the interaction effect of the concurrent axial loading applied at the welded tubular joint on member stress is apparent.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.467-482
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• 2020

This research focused on analyzing the post-fire behavior of high-performance concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns, with the concrete containing tire rubber and steel fibers, under axial compressive loading. The finite element (FE) modeling of such heated columns containing recycled aggregate is a branch of this field which has not received the proper attention of researchers. Better understanding the post-fire behavior of these columns by measuring their residual strength and deformation is critical for achieving the minimum repair level required for structures damaged in the fire. Therefore, to develop this model, 19 groups of confined and unconfined specimens with the variables including the volume ratio of steel fibers, tire rubber content, diameter-to-thickness (D/t) ratio of the steel tube, and exposure temperature were considered. The ABAQUS software was employed to model the tested specimens so that the accurate behavior of the FE-modeled specimens could be examined under test conditions. To achieve desirable results for the modeling of the specimens, in addition to the novel procedure described in this research, the modified versions of models presented by previous researchers were also utilized. After the completion of modeling, the load-axial strain and load-lateral strain relationships, ultimate strength, and failure mode of the modeled CFST specimens were evaluated against the test data, through which the satisfactory accuracy of this modeling procedure was established. Afterward, using a parametric study, the effect of factors such as the concrete core strength at different temperatures and the D/t ratio on the behavior of the CFST columns was explored. Finally, the compressive strength values obtained from the FE model were compared with the corresponding values predicted by various codes, the results of which indicated that most codes were conservative in terms of these predictions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.583-598
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• 2021

The composite steel reinforced concrete (SRC) columns have been widely used in Structural Engineering due to their good performances. Many studies have been done on the SRC columns' performances, but they focused on the ordinary types with conventional configurations and materials. In this study, nine new types of steel reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete (SRLAC) short columns with cross-shaped (+shaped and X-shaped) steel section were tested under monotonically axial compressive load; the studied parameters included steel section ratio, steel section configuration, ties spacing, lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) strength, and longitudinal bars ratio. From the results, it could be found that the specimens with larger ties ratio, concrete strength, longitudinal bars ratio, and steel section ratio achieved great strength and stiffness due to the excellent interaction between the concrete and steel. The well-confined concrete core could strengthen the steel section. The ductility and toughness of the specimens were influenced by the LWAC strength, steel section ratio, and longitudinal bars ratio; in addition, larger ties ratio with smaller LWAC strength led to better ductility and toughness. The load transfer between concrete and steel section largely depends on the LWAC strength, and the ultimate strength of the new types of SRLAC short columns could be approximately predicted, referring to the codes' formulas of ordinary types of steel reinforced concrete (SRC) columns. Among the used codes, the BS-5400-05 led to the most conservative results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.563-582
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• 2021

The present study experimentally and analytically investigated the push-out behaviour of H-shaped steel section embedded in ultrahigh-performance fibre-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC). The effect of significant parameters such as the concrete types, fibre content, embedded steel length, transverse reinforcement ratio and concrete cover on the bond stress, development of bond stress along the embedded length and failure mechanism has been reported. The test results show that the bond slip behaviour of steel-UHPFRC is different from the bond slip behaviour of steel-normal concrete and steel-high strength concrete. The bond-slip curves of steel-normal concrete and steel-high strength concrete exhibit brittle behaviour, and the bond strength decreases rapidly after reaching the peak load, with a residual bond strength of approximately one-half of the peak bond strength. The bond-slip curves of steel-UHPFRC show an obvious ductility, which exhibits a unique displacement pseudoplastic effect. The residual bond strength can still reach from 80% to 90% of the peak bond strength. Compared to steel-normal concrete, the transverse confinement of stirrups has a limited effect on the bond strength in the steel-UHPFRC substrate, but a higher stirrup ratio can improve cracking resistance. The experimental campaign quantifies the local bond stress development and finds that the strain distribution in steel follows an exponential rule along the steel embedded length. Based on the theory of mean bond and local bond stress, the present study proposes empirical approaches to predict the ultimate and residual bond resistance with satisfactory precision. The research findings serve to explain the interface bond mechanism between UHPFRC and steel, which is significant for the design of steel-UHPFRC composite structures and verify the feasibility of eliminating longitudinal rebars and stirrups by using UHPFRC in composite columns.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.175-183
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• 2022

To study the working mechanism and size effect of an innovative dovetail UHPC joint originated from the 5th Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, a large-scale testing subject to negative bending moment was conducted and compared with the previous scaled specimens. The static responses, i.e., the crack pattern, failure mode, ductility and stiffness degradation were analyzed. It was found that the scaled specimens presented similar working stages and working mechanism with the large-scale ones. However, the post-cracking ductility and relative stiffness degradation all decrease with the enlarged length/scale, apart from the relative stiffness after flexural cracking. The slab stiffness at the flexural cracking stage is 90% of the initial stiffness while only 24% of the initial stiffness reserved in the ultimate stage. Finite element model (FEM) was established and compared with the experiments to verify its effectiveness in exploring the working mechanism of the innovative joint. Based on this effective method, a series of FEMs were established to further study the influence of material strength, pre-stressing level and ratio of reinforcement on its deflection-load relationship. It is found that the ratio of reinforcement can significantly improve its load-carrying capacity among the three major-influenced factors.