• Computational Structural Engineering : An International Journal
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2003

For system identification of large structures, it is not practical to identify the entire structure due to the prohibitive computational time and difficulty in numerical convergence. This paper explores the possibility of performing system identification at substructure level, taking advantage of reduction in both the number of unknowns and the number of degrees of freedom involved. Another advantage is that different portions (substructures) of a structural system can be identified independently and even concurrently with parallel computing. Two substructural identification methods are formulated on the basis whether substructural approach is used to obtain first-order or second-order model. For substructural first-order model, identification at the substructure level will be performed by means of the Observer/Kalman filter Identification (OKID) and the Eigensystem Realization Algorithm (ERA) whereas identification at the global level will be performed to obtain second-order model in order to evaluate the system's stiffness and mass parameters. In the case of substructural second-order model, identification will be performed at the substructure level throughout the identification process. The efficiency of the proposed technique is shown by numerical examples for multi-storey shear buildings subjected to random forces, taking into consideration the effects of noisy measurement data. The results indicate that both the proposed methods are effective and efficient for damage identification of large structures.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.1217-1233
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• 2018

Following a surge of interest in multi-unit risk in the last few years, many recent studies have suggested methods for multi-unit probabilistic safety assessment (MUPSA) and addressed several related aspects. Most of the existing studies though focused on two-unit nuclear power plant (NPP) sites or used rather simplified probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) models to demonstrate the proposed approaches. When considering an NPP site with three or more units, some approaches are inapplicable or yield very conservative results. Since the number of such sites is increasing, there is a strong need to develop and validate practical approaches to the related MUPSA. This article provides several detailed approaches that are applicable to multi-unit Level 1 PSA for sites with up to six or more reactor units. To validate the approaches, a multi-unit Level 1 PSA model is developed and the site core damage frequency is estimated for each of four representative multi-unit initiators, as well as for the case of a simultaneous occurrence of independent single-unit initiators in multiple units. For this purpose, an NPP site with six identical OPR-1000 units is considered, with full-scale Level 1 PSA models for a specific OPR-1000 plant used as the base single-unit models.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.545-557
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• 2009

In order to investigate dynamic damage mechanism of brittle materials, Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) have been adapted to apply different impact levels to rocks in South Korea. High resolution X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) was used to estimate the damage in tested rock samples nondestructively. The cracks which are parallel to the loading axis are visible on the contact surface with the incident bar under lower level of impact. The surface cracks disappeared with increment of impact level due to confined effect between the incident bar and sample, while axial splitting are happened near the outer surface.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.112-122
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• 2012

The damage analysis of coastal structure is very important as it involves many design parameters to be considered for the better and safe design of structure. In the present study experimental data for non-reshaped berm breakwater are collected from Marine Structures Laboratory, Department of Applied Mechanics and Hydraulics, NITK, Surathkal, India. Soft computing techniques like Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference system (ANFIS) models are constructed using experimental data sets to predict the damage level of non-reshaped berm breakwater. The experimental data are used to train ANN, SVM and ANFIS models and results are determined in terms of statistical measures like mean square error, root mean square error, correla-tion coefficient and scatter index. The result shows that soft computing techniques i.e., ANN, SVM and ANFIS can be efficient tools in predicting damage levels of non reshaped berm breakwater.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.207-217
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• 2017

Because of the inevitable uncertainties such as structural parameters, external excitations and measurement noises, the effects of uncertainties should be taken into consideration in structural damage detection. In this paper, two probabilistic structural damage detection approaches are proposed to account for the underlying uncertainties in structural parameters and external excitation. The first approach adopts the statistical moment-based structural damage detection (SMBDD) algorithm together with the sensitivity analysis of the damage vector to the uncertain parameters. The approach takes the advantage of the strength SMBDD, so it is robust to measurement noise. However, it requests the number of measured responses is not less than that of unknown structural parameters. To reduce the number of measurements requested by the SMBDD algorithm, another probabilistic structural damage detection approach is proposed. It is based on the integration of structural damage detection using temporal moments in each time segment of measured response time history with the sensitivity analysis of the damage vector to the uncertain parameters. In both approaches, probability distribution of damage vector is estimated from those of uncertain parameters based on stochastic finite element model updating and probabilistic propagation. By comparing the two probability distribution characteristics for the undamaged and damaged models, probability of damage existence and damage extent at structural element level can be detected. Some numerical examples are used to demonstrate the performances of the two proposed approaches, respectively.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 2021

This study aimed to develop a method for the determination of the damaged story in reinforced concrete (RC) structure with ambient vibrations, based on modified jerk energy methodology. The damage was taken as a localized reduction in the stiffness of the structural member. For loading, random white noise excitation was used, and dynamic responses from the finite element model (FEM) of 4 story RC shear frame were extracted at nodal points. The data thus obtained from the structure was used in the damage detection and localization algorithm. In the structure, two damage configurations have been introduced. In the first configuration, damage to the structure was artificially caused by a local reduction in the modulus of elasticity. In the second configuration, the damage was caused, using the Elcentro1940 and Kashmir2005 earthquakes in real-time history. The damage was successfully detected if the frequency drop was greater than 5% and the mode shape correlation remained less than 0.8. The results of the damage were also compared to the performance criteria developed in the Seismostruct software. It is demonstrated that the proposed algorithm has effectively detected the existence of the damage and can locate the damaged story for multiple damage scenarios in the RC structure.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1232-1237
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• 2014

Lycopene, which is a well-known red carotenoid pigment, has been drawing scientific interest because of its potential biological functions. The current study reports that lycopene acts as a bactericidal agent by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated DNA damage in Escherichia coli. Lycopene treatment elevated the level of ROS-in particular, hydroxyl radicals ($^*OH$)-which can damage DNA in E. coli. Lycopene-induced DNA damage in bacteria was confirmed and we also observed cell filamentation caused by cell division arrest, an indirect marker of the DNA damage repair system, in lycopene-treated E. coli. Increased RecA expression was observed, indicating activation of the DNA repair system (SOS response). To summarize, lycopene exerts its antibacterial effects by inducing $^*OH$-mediated DNA damage that cannot be ameliorated by the SOS response. Lycopene may be a clinically useful adjuvant for current antimicrobial therapies.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.489-500
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• 2009

The aim of this paper is to compare wavelet, kurtosis and pseudofractal based techniques for structural health monitoring in the presence of measurement noise. A detailed comparison and assessment of these techniques have been carried out in this paper through numerical experiments for the calibration of damage extent of a simply supported beam with an open crack serving as an illustrative example. The numerical experiments are deemed critical due to limited amount of experimental data available in the field of singularity based detection of damage. A continuous detectibility map has been proposed for comparing various techniques qualitatively. Efficiency surfaces have been constructed for wavelet, kurtosis and pseudofractal based calibration of damage extent as a function of damage location and measurement noise level. Levels of noise have been identified for each technique where a sudden drop of calibration efficiency is observed marking the onset of damage masking regime by measurement noise.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.679-694
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• 2013

In this paper the application of the Interpolation Damage Detection Method to the numerical model of a suspension bridge instrumented with a network of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System sensors is presented. The method, which, in its present formulation, belongs to Level II damage identification method, can identify the presence and the location of damage from responses recorded on the structure before and after a seismic damaging event. The application of the method does not require knowledge of the modal properties of the structure nor a numerical model of it. Emphasis is placed herein on the influence of recorded signals noise on the reliability of the results given by the Interpolation Damage Detection Method. The response of a suspension bridge to seismic excitation is computed from a numerical model and artificially corrupted with random noise characteristic of two families of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System accelerometers. The reliability of the results is checked for different damage scenarios.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.577-590
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• 2019

The seismic response of structures to strong ground motions is a complex problem that has been studied for decades. However, most of current seismic regulations do not assess the potential level of damage that a structure may undergo during a strong earthquake. This will happen in spite that the design objectives for any structural system are formulated in terms of acceptable levels of damage. In this article, we analyze the expected damage in single-degree-of-freedom systems subjected to long-duration ground motions generated in soft soil sites, such as those located in the lakebed of Mexico City. An energy-based methodology is formulated, under the consideration of input energy as the basis for the evaluation process, to estimate expected damage. The results of the proposed methodology are validated with damage curves established directly with nonlinear dynamic analyses.