• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2020

In this paper, a modified and improved seismic isolation system called suspension columns for seismic isolation was investigated. An experimental study of the proposed isolation method, together with theoretical and numerical analyses, has thoroughly been conducted. In the proposed method, during the construction of the foundation, some cavities are created at the position of the columns inside the foundation and the columns are placed inside the cavities and hanged from the foundation by flexible cables rather being directly connected to the foundation. Since the columns are suspended and due to the gap between the columns and walls of the cavities, the structure is able to move freely to each side thus, the transmitted seismic actions are reduced. The main parameter of this isolation technique is the length of the suspension cable. As the cable length is changed, the natural frequency of the structure is also changed, thus, the desired frequency can be achieved by means of an appropriate cable length. As the experimental phase of the study, a steel frame structure with two floors was constructed and subjected to the acceleration of three earthquakes using a shaking table with different hanging cable lengths. The structural responses were recorded in terms of acceleration and relative displacement. The experimental results were compared to the theoretical and numerical ones, obtained from the MATLAB programming and the finite element software ABAQUS, showing a suitable agreement between them. The results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed isolation method in reducing the seismic effects on the structure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.72 no.6
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• pp.747-762
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• 2019

Based on the ball-screw mechanism, a tuned viscous mass damper (TVMD) has been proposed, which has functions of amplifying physical mass of the system and frequency tuning. Considering the sensitivity of a single TVMD's effectiveness to frequency mistuning like that of the conventional tuned mass damper (TMD) and according to the concept of the conventional multiple tuned mass damper (MTMD), in the present paper, multiple tuned mass viscous dampers (MTVMD) consisting of many tuned mass dampers (TVMD) with a uniform distribution of natural frequencies are considered for attenuating undesirable vibration of a structure. The MTVMD is manufactured by keeping the stiffness and damping constant and varying the mass associated with the lead of the ball-screw type inerter element in the damper. The structure is represented by its mode-generalized system in a specific vibration mode controlled using the mode reduced-order method. Modal properties and fundamental characteristics of the MTVMD-structure system are investigated analytically with the parameters, i.e., the frequency band, the average damping ratio, the tuning frequency ratio, the total number of TVMD and the total mass ratio. It is found that there exists an optimum set of the parameters that makes the frequency response curve of the structure flattened with smaller amplitudes in a wider input frequency range. The effectiveness and robustness of the MTVMD are also discussed in comparison with those of the usual single TVMD (STVMD) and the results shows that the MTVMD is more effective and robust with the same level of total mass.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.1133-1152
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• 2015

A frequency-domain method is developed for evaluating the earthquake input energy to two building structures connected by viscous dampers. It is shown that the earthquake input energies to respective building structures and viscous connecting dampers can be defined as works done by the boundary forces between the subsystems on their corresponding displacements. It is demonstrated that the proposed energy transfer function is very useful for clear understanding of dependence of energy consumption ratios in respective buildings and connecting viscous dampers on their properties. It can be shown that the area of the energy transfer function for the total system is constant regardless of natural period and damping ratio because the constant Fourier amplitude of the input acceleration, relating directly the area of the energy transfer function to the input energy, indicates the Dirac delta function and only an initial velocity (kinetic energy) is given in this case. Owing to the constant area property of the energy transfer functions, the total input energy to the overall system including both buildings and connecting viscous dampers is approximately constant regardless of the quantity of connecting viscous dampers. This property leads to an advantageous feature that, if the energy consumption in the connecting viscous dampers increases, the input energies to the buildings can be reduced drastically. For the worst case analysis, critical excitation problems with respect to the impulse interval for double impulse (simplification of pulse-type impulsive ground motion) and multiple impulses (simplification of long-duration ground motion) are considered and their solutions are provided.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2011

Objective : This study was performed to analyze the relationship between posttraumatic stress, coping style, and dissociation in Korean firefighters. Methods : Subjects included 193 male and 9 female firefighters in the metropolitan city of Daejeon. Their age ranged from 25 to 57 with an average of 39.17 (SD : 7.572) years. Their posttraumatic stress or traumatic experiences were assessed with the Korean Version of the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale. Their coping style was categorized with the Korean version of the Ways of Coping Checklist. Their dissociation was assessed with the Korean version of Dissociative Experiences Scale. The data analysis included a correlation analysis and structural equation modeling. The modeling tested the validity of the model that posttraumatic stress had a direct effect on dissociation and coping style had an mediatory effect between stress and dissociation. Results : First, firefighters' posttraumatic stress or traumatic experiences had a direct effect on dissociation, a symptom of a mental disorder. Second, the firefighters employed passive styles to cope with their stress. This is explained that they had been exposed to their traumatic events repeatedly without being able to control it themselves. Third, coping style had no effect on the mediation between posttraumatic stress and dissociation. This is explained in terms of repeated exposure to the traumatic events. Conclusion : Based on the results, it is concluded that Korean firefighters' dissociation was not relieved by their coping effort but associated directly with their traumatic experiences. To decrease their dissociation, it is necessary to reduce the exposure to their traumatic events.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.83-109
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• 2013

A simple damper optimization method is proposed to find optimal damper allocation for shear buildings under both target added damping ratio and interstorey drift ratio (IDR). The damping coefficients of added dampers are considered as design variables. The cost, which is defined as the sum of damping coefficient of added dampers, is minimized under a target added damping ratio and the upper and the lower constraint of the design variables. In the first stage of proposed algorithm, Simulated Annealing, Nelder Mead and Differential Evolution numerical algorithms are used to solve the proposed optimization problem. The candidate optimal design obtained in the first stage is tested in terms of the IDRs using linear time history analyses for a design earthquake in the second stage. If all IDRs are below the allowable level, iteration of the algorithm is stopped; otherwise, the iteration continues increasing the target damping ratio. By this way, a structural response IDR is also taken into consideration using a snap-back test. In this study, the effects of the selection of upper limit for added dampers, the storey mass distribution and the storey stiffness distribution are all investigated in terms of damper distributions, cost function, added damping ratio and IDRs for 6-storey shear building models. The results of the proposed method are compared with two existing methods in the literature. Optimal designs are also compared with uniform designs according to both IDRs and added damping ratios. The numerical results show that the proposed damper optimization method is easy to apply and is efficient to find optimal damper distribution for a target damping ratio and allowable IDR value.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.16 no.4 s.71
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• pp.415-423
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• 2004

To investigate the long-term corrosion resistance of an uncoated weathering steel, an important outdoor constructional steel material, skyward surfaces of the weathering steel and a control steel initially exposed to rural and industrial atmospheres for 9 years were electrochemically tested in neutral artificial rain in terms of electrochemical potentials, impedances, and anodic potentiodynamic polarization curves. Their results were then discussed. A quite passive and stable rust layer to the artificial rain was well formed on the skyward surface of the weathering steel exposed to the industrial and rural atmospheres, and its corrosion rate in the artificial rain was measured to be about a low $3{{\mu}m}/y$. Continuous immersion of all the weathered surfaces in the artificial rain revealed the gradual degradation of the weathered corrosion layers on the steel, resulting in a cathodically controlled corrosion of the substrate steel by the electrochemical measurements. Alloy components of the weathering steel were found to retard the degradation of the weathered corrosion layers on the steel in the artificial rain. For better corrosion evaluation of the weathering steel, more electrochemical measurements of surfaces that have been exposed for more than 9 years to more closely simulated atmospheric waters are needed. These measurements are almost non-destructive and can provide online and in situ information on the corrosion rate, the development of corrosion and the conditions of rust layers on any interested surface and at any exposure time of the steel, so they can be effectively applicable to the corrosion evaluation of steel structures such as bridges, towers, and architectures by forming an electrochemical cell on an interested structural surface and by using a portable electrochemical instrument.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.47-67
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• 2014

Since the global financial crisis, criticism against the integrity of financial institutions proposed new financial regulations such as Basel III. These systems are expected to have impacts multilaterally on management and structure of mid- and long-term financial industry. It is also believed that financial institutions will inevitably review business model to respond to these enhanced regulations. The ongoing global financial regulation pursues regulation scope extension, introduction of global regulatory capital system, introduction of global liquidity, etc. As for quantitative index, Basel Committee on Banking Supervision is promoting QIS which is discussed mainly on implementation time from the juridical point of view. This study aims to present domestic banking industry's structural changes depending on regulation enhancement of foreign countries after global financial crisis, and suggest strategy that improves competitiveness of products. Looking at the research result, global financial regulation requires compliance with the regulations through treaties but it shows negative time center around banks. Furthermore, it is also pointed out financially advanced countries' passive attitude on regulation enhancement is problem. Therefore, regulations differentiated between developing and developed countries, dualistic regulations on financial industry, participation of advanced nations, etc are the postulation to change the structure of financial industry.