• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.31 no.6C
• /
• pp.251-258
• /
• 2011

Steel pipe piles have been used as various deep foundation materials for a long time. Recent increase in steel material cost has made engineers reluctant in using it even with its good quality and ease of construction. Therefore when constructing with steel pipe pile, the decision to reuse the excessive pile length that is cut off from the designed pile head elevation after pile driving can be cost saving. This has caused many constructors to reuse the pile leftovers with new piles, but the absence of quantitative structural capacity behaviors of steel pipe pile after pile driving or appropriate countermeasures and standards in reusing steel pipe pile has resulted in wrong applications, pile structural integrity problems, inappropriate limitation of reusable pile length, etc. The structural performance analysis between a new pile and a pile that has undergone working state and ultimate state stress level during pile driving was performed in this research by means of comparing the results between the dynamic pile load test, tensile load test, charpy energy test and fatigue test for high strength steel of $440N/mm^2$ yield strength. Test results show that under working load conditions the yield strength variation is less than 2% and for ultimate load conditions the variation is less than 5% for maximum total blow count of 3000. The results have been statistically analyzed to check the sensitivity of each factors involved. From the test results, reusability of steel pipe pile lies not in the main pipe yield strength deviation but in the reduction of absorb energy, strength changes and quality control at the welded section, shape deformation and local buckling during pile driving.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.1023-1031
• /
• 2014

This study is conducted to evaluate the supply effectiveness of the Long-term Secured Public Rental Housing (LSPRH) program implemented by the City of Seoul since March, 2012. To estimate the residential intention of potential applicants for the housing program, two logistic regression models of residential intention are estimated based on the residential characteristics of real residents. The purpose of this model estimation is to find out factors influencing the supply of LSPRH and thus to suggest the ideas for improving the effectiveness of the rental housing program operation. The analysis result shows that financial condition, income level, and public support are the major determinants for selecting LSPRH. It is also revealed that those who are currently living in rental housing or living in a house more expensive than those in nearby areas have higher residential intention for the LSPRH program. The result also presents that some problems associated with the traditional rental housing programs - such as visually recognizable low-quality exterior building design or the concentration of rental housing on limited spots - could be solved by this new type of public housing program. Lastly, one interesting finding different from previous research is that people with the intention to move into either traditional rental housing or LSPRH do not necessarily prefer a more spacious house than their current rental house.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.261-268
• /
• 2018

The study used the simplified flooding analysis model, SIMOD, to distribute the total flood discharge by time, so research on flooding in urban areas can be conducted. The conventional flooding analysis models have limitations in constructing input data and take a long time for analysis. However, SIMOD is useful because it supports rapid decision-making process using quick modeling based on simple hydrological data, such as topography and inflow flood of the study area, to analyze submerged routes formed by flooding. Therefore, the study used the SIMOD model to analyze flooding in urban areas before conducting a comparative study with the outputs from FLO-2D, which is one of the conventional flooding analysis models, to identify the model's applicability. Seongseoje was selected as the study area, as it is located downstream the Geumho river where streams flow in the adjacent areas, and dikes are high enough to apply the "Overflow and Break" scenario for urban areas. With regard to topography, the study applied DEM data for the conventional flooding analysis and DSM data to represent urban building communities, distribution of roads, etc. Input flood discharge was calculated by applying the rectangular weir equation under the bank and break scenario through a 200-year return period of a design flood level. Comparative analysis was conducted in a flooded area with a simulation time of 1-24 hours. The time for the 24-hour simulation in SIMOD was less than 7 minutes. Compared with FLO-2D, the difference in flooded areas was less than 20%. Furthermore, the study identified the need for topography data using DSM for urban areas, as the analysis result that applies DSM showed the influence of roads and buildings.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.588-598
• /
• 2013

This study was conducted to assess needs of educational mobile application (App) development for nutritional management and information on pregnant women. A total of 105 pregnant women were investigated on general characteristics, dietary habits, health behavior and needs for contents and composition of the application. The mean age of the subjects was 31.9 years and the mean gestation period was 25.4 weeks. The rate of skipping meal was 39.0% and the rate of irregular meal time was 46.6%. The consciousness of the meal as balanced nutrition and health was 19.9%. Eating out at least forth a week was 35.3%. Obtaining information about pregnancy and childbirth were internet (35.3%), hospital or health center (19.9%), books (17.1%), experience (15.2%), mobile (8.6%) and friends or acquaintances (4.8%). If the application is developed, subject replied 'frequently use' (51.4%), 'when needed' (47.6%) respectively. The favour topic in developing application were 'nutrition information of pregnant and fetal' (36.2%), 'weight management, feeding' (33.3%), 'food choice and cooking' (21.9%), 'shopping' (5.7%), 'example of menu' (1.9%), 'effect of smoking, drinking, exercising' (1.0%). The favorite content was 'include sufficient amount about information' (44.8%). Depending on the age and education level, the best age for pregnancy group have significantly higher ability for utilize and information gathering than old age pregnant group. Also the best age for pregnancy group have high demands of design, convenience and various contents in App development. Therefore, mobile application (App) for pregnant women could be widely used as an effective dietary guide.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.315-323
• /
• 2015

Damage level of coastal structures has been scaled up according to increase of wave height and duration of the storm due to the abnormal global climate change. So, the design criteria for new breakwaters is being intensified and structural strengthening is also conducted for the existing breakwaters. Recently, interlocking concept has been much attention to enhance the structural stability of the conventional caisson structure designed individually to resist waves. The interlocking caisson breakwater may be survival even if unusual high wave occurs because the maximum wave force may be reduced by phase lags among the wave forces acting on each caisson. In this study, the dispersion characteristics of wave forces using interlocking system that connect the upper part of caisson with cable in the normal direction of breakwater was investigated. A simplified linear model was developed for computational efficiency, in which the foundation and connection cables were modelled as linear springs, and caisson structures were assumed to be rigid. From numerical experiments, it can be found that the higher wave forces are transmitted through the cable as the angle of incident wave is larger, and the larger the stiffness of the interlocking cable makes larger wave dispersion effect.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.73-83
• /
• 2016

Purpose - The parcel delivery service(courier) industry all over the world has been expanding its market so far, but its growth has been declining in recent years. In this situation, most parcel delivery companies are having trouble with managing themselves because of the pressure from the customer to increase service level and decrease the rate. The purpose of this study is to provide ways to improve competitive advantages of the parcel delivery service industry by evaluating the multi-period operating efficiency of Korea, Japan and global service providers. Research design, data, and methodology - The data for the period of 2011 to 2014 were collected from the annual reports published by parcel delivery companies. In this study, we analyze the marketability (revenue), profitability (operating profits), and management conditions (net profits) of parcel service companies by combining information on human resources (number of employees) and material resources (total assets and equity). Therefore, the number of employees, total assets, and equity are selected as input variables, and revenue, operating profits, and net profits as the output variables. In this study, DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) is used to measure the comparative efficiency and MPI (Malmquist Productivity Index) is used to analyze the trend of change of the efficiency for a multi-year period. Results - The operational efficiency scores of medium-sized parcel delivery companies in Korea are higher than other larger competitors such as Korean, Japan and Global larger companies. As of 2014, Logen(1.878) was found to be the most efficient parcel delivery enterprise, followed by KGB (1.224), and Kyoungdong(1.002). Otherwise, Hanjin(0.235), CJ(0.262), Hyundai Logistics(0.657), DHL(0.611), UPS(0.766), FedEx(0.498), TNT(0.350), Yamato(0.762) and Sagawa(0.520), larger sized companies, were done inefficiently. The productivity of parcel delivery companies is influenced by endogenous factors as well as exogenous ones such as changes in business environment and technological advances. Conclusions - Korean medium-sized companies have relatively high efficiency scores in operation. That is why they still survive the competitive market in Korea where market restructuring on the industry has been expected to be conducted for many years. The reason why medium-sized couriers had higher efficient scores than larger couriers is that most of couriers spend more operating expenses versus unit price of delivery which is the amount of money that is needed in order to send a package by parcel service. So the delivery unit price must be taken into account by all the expenses associated with the cost of fuel, labor and maintenance expenses for facilities, etc. therefore, the unit price must be increased to strengthen business competitive power. In order for the industry to have more competitive advantage, the companies need to make profits by increasing demand volume and raising the delivery rate to provide high-quality delivery service to customers. And both endogenous and exogenous change must take precedence in order to strengthen their competitiveness.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.13 no.7
• /
• pp.73-83
• /
• 2015

Purpose - Recently, many large retailers have been frequently purchasing commercial brands. Not only the quality of products purchased but also the brand images are of concern in this process. Based on this rising trend, commercial brands have become an important issue in the retail business world, along with increasing general interest as well. Thus, this study focuses on the factors affecting commercial brand images and clarifies the impact of the resulting factors as well. First, store images and familiarity, price sensitiveness, and knowledge are presented as the effect factors for commercial brands. Second, the study tries to clarify the effect of commercial brand image on the reliability and loyalty of customers. Research design, data, and methodology - To conduct the study methodology, 250 questionnaires were distributed to retailers who have used large discount stores located in Busan to purchase a commercial brand a total of 234 valid questionnaires were used in the final analysis. To verify the hypotheses, a structure equation formula using Amos 20.0 was calculated. First, prior to the verification of hypotheses, the reliability and feasibility of the questions were tested, and as a result, the value of Cronbach's alpha was higher than 0.7, thereby showing reliability. Additionally, for the verification of the feasibility of the questions, a confirmation factor analysis was implemented. Results - First, variances such as store images, familiarity, price sensitivity, and knowledge were presented as the factors of effect on commercial brands. As a result of the hypotheses verification, all the effect factors presented in this study were confirmed as important variables of commercial brand images. The hypotheses were drawn based on the studies relating to existing commercial brands, and thereby, a result similar to previous studies was produced. However, the effect factors of the commercial brand image presented in this study shaped a new study model based on the previous studies. Second, it was found that commercial brand images had positive effects on the reliability and loyalty of customers. This study presented reliability and loyalty as the resulting factors of commercial brand image because they are the most important factors in relation to customer behavior and variables that can suggest marketing points for distribution businesses. Conclusions - This study focused on clarifying the factors that are important effect factors for commercial brand images. As a result, all the hypotheses were confirmed in this study, indicating a meaningful result, and thereby suggesting many points that can be presented to distribution businesses. First, the proper strategies should be developed based on the hypothesis that a store image, the familiarity of customers with brands, and the price sensitiveness and knowledge level of customers have an important effect on the choice of commercial brands. Additionally, the formation of such favorable images will have positive effects not only in terms of customer trust in the commercial brands but also in terms of their loyalty.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.13 no.8
• /
• pp.91-96
• /
• 2015

Purpose - This study reviews the delivery of child welfare service quality and examines how the dimensions of the variables of customer satisfaction impact the results from a service distribution perspective. This study differs from existing research since it proposes that a recognized level of child welfare service quality is necessary to achieve customer satisfaction from the perspective of service distribution. Research design, data, and methodology - This study explores child welfare service quality factors that affect customer satisfaction. The study examines and analyzes demographic variables, service quality dimensions, and the causal relationships between child welfare service quality and customer satisfaction. Data from 300 child welfare cases were collected from organizations in Korea in the areas of Busan and Gyeongsangnamdo. The methods of analysis are as follow. First, using descriptive analysis frequency, the percentages were evaluated to assess the demographic variables. Second, Cronbach's α was used to test reliability and to evaluate the internal consistency of the measuring of items. Third, multiple regression analysis was conducted to find out how much the independent variable can affect customer satisfaction. Results - Five factors of child welfare service quality were identified in three categories: process quality (assurance, empathy), results quality (reliability, caring), and physical environment quality (tangibles). There were significant differences among the effects of the child welfare service quality factors on customer satisfaction. A multiple regression analysis was done with process quality (assurance, empathy), results quality (reliability, caring) and physical environment quality (tangibles) to test the hypothesis: assurance (t=2.434, p<0.05), empathy (t=3.677, p<0.001), reliability (t=3.271, p<0.05), caring (t=4.380, p<0.000), and tangibles (t=3.654, p<0.01) had a positive influence on child welfare service quality from a service distribution perspective. Therefore, hypotheses 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were supported. In addition, multiple regression analysis on the effects of the variables showed that caring (β=0.273), empathy (β=0.246), tangibles (β=0.265), reliability (β=0.152), and assurance (β=0.131) all had a positive and strong influence on child welfare service quality from a service distribution perspective. Therefore, all child welfare service quality categories (process, results and physical environment quality) were positively statistically significant. Conclusion - In this study, the main findings can be summarized as follows. First, the quality of service of child welfare consists of three dimensions of quality: process quality, results quality, and physical environment quality. The results of the multiple regression analysis also showed that caring and reliability were confirmed as more meaningful variables by the increasing loading factors. Second, the family members involved in child welfare proposed caring as the most important variable among the dimensions of service quality. Third, the results of the hypothesis testing using regression showed that all child welfare service quality factors had a positive impact on customer satisfaction. The results of the study could provide useful information to help increase the effectiveness of delivery strategies for child welfare service quality from a service distribution perspective.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.71-78
• /
• 2015

Purpose - This study attempts to analyze whether or not there are characteristics among the top management of companies that promote corporate performance at venture companies. It investigates the characteristics of the human and social capital that are inherent in top management at a venture company and conducts an empirical analysis of hypotheses examining if these characteristics will affect utilization of the governmental R&D support system as well as affect the firm's initial success. Research design, data, and methodology - This study conducted theoretical and empirical research together to accomplish the goal of the study. The pilot study researched human capital and social capital as the independent variables; the governmental R&D support system as the parameter; and, the initial success as the dependent variable. The empirical study carried out research on the model, establishment of hypotheses, and the statistical treatment. A survey was conducted targeting top management of high-tech venture companies in Daedeok Innopolis; 500 questionnaires were distributed; and, 222 were collected. Results - The human and social capital inherent in top management at venture companies in the early stages of their existence become good evaluation data for those who are invested in similar resources. If top management includes strong human and social capital, access to external resources will be easier; these will have a positive influence on the selection of overnmental support systems; and, this proper support will also have a positive influence on the initial success of the venture company. The results revealed the following. First, it was found that when the educational level and functional background, (the top management human capital), are the output function, top management human capital had a significant influence on selection of governmental R&D support funds. Second, it was found that the internal social capital and external social capital, (the top management social capital), had a significant influence on selection of governmental R&D support tasks. Third, it was found that selection of the governmental R&D support tasks at the start of the venture company had a positive influence on the corporate financial performance such as sales, business profits, and the increase in workers; and, had a significant influence on nonfinancial performance such as market share, competitive position, product competitiveness, and the future product development. Conclusions - Selection of the governmental R&D support system is not recognized as part of the direct sales of a venture company in its early stages, but as it can reduce costs for technical development and helps significantly in creating test products and mass production, it has a positive influence on the company's financial performance and nonfinancial performance as a result. Therefore, companies should take great efforts to frequently be selected as a candidate in the governmental R&D support system, as it can help facilitate R&D that requires extensive funds. As a result, companies can expect effects such as job creation and patent applications and they can advance future product sales.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.13 no.10
• /
• pp.101-108
• /
• 2015

Purpose - The convenience store business sector in South Korea has contributed to economic growth and job creation, and the growth potential of this market segment remains very high. In addition, service value is a more important factor than price in determining purchase intention. Research in the convenience store market is relatively very low compared to other retail sectors. In particular, research on service quality for the convenience of retailers who examine and analyze customer behavior and service quality factors used in the convenience store side of the situation is very inadequate. We have investigated the relationship of store service quality, service satisfaction, and store loyalty. In addition, we have examined the way service value moderates the relationship among these variables. Research design, data, and methodology - The questionnaire was developed using modified and supplementary questions based on the KD-SQS and RSQS models. The study suggested a theoretical model composed of 15 hypotheses on the relations between theoretic variables, and surveys conducted with consumers in discount stores in the Seoul and Gyunggi Metropolitan area in order to verify the hypotheses. We used the SPSS/PC statistical packages to analyze the results. The number of surveys used was 227. Moreover, a structural equating model was also used to analyze the reliability and validity of the composing elements and to verify the suggested hypotheses. Results - The overall results of this study are as follows. First, all service quality elements have a significant effect on service satisfaction. Second, all service quality elements have a significant effect on store loyalty. Third, service satisfaction has a significant effect on store loyalty. Finally, when the participants were divided into high and low service value the results of the multiple regression analyses showed that only the relationship between policy of service quality and satisfaction, and human interaction and policy of service quality and loyalty were significant. The implications are discussed based on the findings of the study. Conclusions - First, through direct hypotheses testing, we confirmed that the convenience service quality positively impacts the service satisfaction and loyalty of buyers. In particular, the reliability, origin benefit, and promotion were found to have more influence on satisfaction and loyalty of consumers of a convenience store. Further, for the service quality of the convenience for the consumer loyalty, greater human interaction was a high-value and statistically significantly higher than the degree of improvement in consumer loyalty. This underscores the importance of education and human services management of employees working in a convenience store. In particular, frequent changes in personnel generate results that negatively impact loyalty with customers. These results may lead to a serious problem in the economics of the store. Therefore, it should enhance the value of services through the establishment of training and compensation for employees. In addition, a certain educational level is required as well as a basis for compensation and retention.