• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.541-558
• /
• 2019

In Special Concentrically Braced Frames (SCBFs), vertical and horizontal components of the brace force must be resisted by column and beam, respectively but normal force component existing at the gusset plate-to-column and beam interfaces, creates out-of-plane action making distortion in column and beam faces adjacent to the gusset plate. It is a main concern in Hollow Structural Section (HSS) columns and beams where their webs and gusset plate are not in the same plane. In this paper, a new gusset plate passing through the HSS columns and beams, named as through gusset plate, is proposed to study the force transfer mechanism in such gusset plates of SCBFs compared to the case with conventional gusset plates. For this purpose, twelve SCBFs with diagonal brace and HSS columns and twelve SCBFs with chevron brace and HSS columns and beams are considered. For each frame, two cases are considered, one with through gusset plates and the other with conventional ones. Based on numerical results, using through gusset plates prevents distortion and out-of-plane deformation at HSS column and beam faces adjacent to the gusset plate helping the entire column and beam cross-sections to resist respectively vertical and horizontal components of the brace force. Moreover, its application increases energy dissipation, lateral stiffness and strength around 28%, 40% and 32%, respectively, improving connection behavior and raising the resistance of the normal force components at the gusset plate-to-HSS column and beam interfaces to approximately 4 and 3.5 times, respectively. Finally, using such through gusset plates leads to better structural performance particularly for HSS columns and beams with larger width-to-thickness ratio elements.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.315-328
• /
• 2019

This paper presents an investigation on bearing capacity, load-settlement behavior and safety factor of rock-soil slopes reinforced using geogrid-box method (GBM). To this end, small-scale laboratory studies were carried out to study the load-settlement response of a circular footing resting on unreinforced and reinforced rock-soil slopes. Several parameters including unit weight of rock-soil materials (loose- and dense-packing modes), slope height, location of footing relative to the slope crest, and geogrid tensile strength were studied. A series of finite element analysis were conducted using ABAQUS software to predict the bearing capacity behavior of slopes. Limit equilibrium and finite element analysis were also performed using commercially available software SLIDE and ABAQUS, respectively to calculate the safety factor. It was found that stabilization of rock-soil slopes using GBM significantly improves the bearing capacity and settlement behavior of slopes. It was established that, the displacement contours in the dense-packing mode distribute in a broader and deeper area as compared with the loose-packing mode, which results in higher ultimate bearing load. Moreover, it was found that in the loose-packing mode an increase in the vertical pressure load is accompanied with an increase in the soil settlement, while in the dense-packing mode the load-settlement curves show a pronounced peak. Comparison of bearing capacity ratios for the dense- and loose-packing modes demonstrated that the maximum benefit of GBM is achieved for rock-soil slopes in loose-packing mode. It was also found that by increasing the slope height, both the initial stiffness and the bearing load decreases. The results indicated a significant increase in the ultimate bearing load as the distance of the footing to the slope crest increases. For all the cases, a good agreement between the laboratory and numerical results was observed.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
• /
• v.56 no.1
• /
• pp.94-101
• /
• 2019

Underwater acoustic power should be measured in a free field, but it is not easy to implement. In practice, the measurement could be performed in a reverberant field such as a water-filled steel tank and concrete tank. In this case, the structure and the acoustic field are strongly or weakly coupled according to material properties of the steel and water. So, characteristics of the water tank must be investigated in order to get the accurate underwater acoustic power. In detail, modal frequencies, mode shapes of the structure and frequency response functions of the acoustic field could represent the characteristics of the reverberant water tank. In this paper, the structure-acoustic coupling has been investigated on a reverberant water tank numerically and experimentally. The finite element analysis has been carried out to estimate the structural and acoustical modal parameters under the dry and water-filled conditions, respectively. In order to investigate the structure-acoustic coupling effect, the numerical analysis has been performed according to the structure stiffness change of the water tank. The acoustic frequency response functions were compared with the numerical analysis and acoustic exciting test. From the results, the structural modal frequencies of the water-filled condition have been decreased compared to those of the dry condition in the low frequency range. The acoustic frequency response functions under the coupled boundary conditions showed different patterns from those under the ideal boundary conditions such as the pressure release and rigid boundary condition, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.305-311
• /
• 2018

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of joint disease, characterized by articular cartilage, osteonecrosis, and osteochondral bone erosion. It is an early, progressive disease that combines joint stiffness and joint pain and reduces cartilage function and condition. Interleukin-1 beta ($IL-1{\beta}$) is thought to be important to the pathogenesis of OA and significantly increases the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which play an important role in cartilage degradation in OA. Sparassis crispa (Wulf.) is an edible / medicinal mushroom that has been reported to variety of biological activities. In this study, investigated the Anti-inflammatory effect of Sparassis crispa (Wulf.) ethanol extract (SCE) on $IL-1{\beta}$ stimulated SW1353 chondrocytes. SCE decreased the expression and activity of MMPs by $IL-1{\beta}$ and decreased the levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) associated with the inhibition of prostaglandin E2($PGE_2$) in $IL-1{\beta}$ stimulated SW-1353 chondrocytes. In addition, SCE inhibits the expression of MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) and $NF-{\kappa}B$ (nuclear factor-kappa B) signaling in $IL-1{\beta}$ stimulated SW-1353 cells, and SCE inhibits the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. Thus, it is suggested that SCE has a potential as an anti-inflammatory agent in osteoarthritis treatments.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.419-425
• /
• 2018

In this study, cross-linked collagen gels were successfully prepared with varying of elastic modulus from 0.7 to 17.7 kPa using a chemical cross-linker. Then, human dermal fibroblasts were encapsulated into the porous pores introduced into the gels, and cell growth and behavior were examined by gel's mechanical properties. Specifically, increasing elastic modulus of the gel led to decreases in procollagen synthesis from 47 to 32 ng. In addition, there could be optimum elastic modulus for procollagen production, when the gels were treated with adenosine. However, interestingly, this study discovered that the procollagen production level was not influenced by the elastic modulus of the gel for functional peptide. In conclusion, these results would be highly useful for designing reconstructed skins with varying of elastic modulus to examine functional materials in cosmetics.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.133-143
• /
• 2019

Objectives : In this study, we analyze the medical significance of feces symptoms so that the daily records of the feces of individuals can be not only used as a measure of individual health monitoring in daily life, but also more actively connected to the medical treatment of the Korean Medicine (KM). Methods : Categories and clinically significant attributes for symptoms of Urination and defecation in the KM ontology DB are determined, and connected to KM related dialectical indicators by experts' common criteria including Viscera and Bowels [臟腑], eight principles [八綱], Qi Blood fluid and humor phlegm-retained fluid static blood [氣血津液痰飮瘀血], six excesses [六淫]. Results : The analysis of the symptoms of feces in the Korea Medicine ontology shows that the symptoms of stool in categories of 'stool stiffness', 'blood swelling', 'discomfort' are highly ranked among the overall clinical symptom categories. In the case of urine symptoms, symptoms corresponding to 'urine color,' 'urine discomfort,' and 'urine volume' are the top rankers among other total clinical symptoms. In the case of stool, the relationship between the symptom of stool and the categories of spleen, stomach, and colon is increased as the weighted symptom is considered. The relationship between the symptom of urine and the categories of the small intestine and the bladder is increased in the same way. Conclusions : This study could help better utilize the personal generated health records of feces in clinical practice of Korean Medicine.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.365-382
• /
• 2019

In steel frame-tube structures (SFTSs) the application of flexural beam is not suitable for the beam with span-to-depth ratio lower than five because the plastic hinges at beam-ends can not be developed properly. This can lead to lower ductility and energy dissipation capacity of the SFTS. To address this problem, a replaceable shear link, acting as a ductile fuse at the mid length of deep beams, is proposed. SFTS with replaceable shear links (SFTS-RSLs) dissipate seismic energy through shear deformation of the link. In order to evaluate this proposal, buildings were designed to compare the seismic performance of SFTS-RSLs and SFTSs. Several sub-structures were selected from the design buildings and finite element models (FEMs) were established to study their hysteretic behavior. Static pushover and dynamic analyses were undertaken in comparing seismic performance of the FEMs for each building. The results indicated that the SFTS-RSL and SFTS had similar initial lateral stiffness. Compared with SFTS, SFTS-RSL had lower yield strength and maximum strength, but higher ductility and energy dissipation capacity. During earthquakes, SFTS-RSL had lower interstory drift, maximum base shear force and story shear force compared with the SFTS. Placing a shear link at the beam mid-span did not increase shear lag effects for the structure. The SFTS-RSL concentrates plasticity on the shear link. Other structural components remain elastic during seismic loading. It is expected that the SFTS-RSL will be a reliable dual resistant system. It offers the benefit of being able to repair the structure by replacing damaged shear links after earthquakes.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.265-277
• /
• 2019

Framed masonry wall structures represent a typical high-rise structural system that are also seismically vulnerable. During ground motions, they are excited in both in-plane and out-of-plane terms. The interaction between the frame and the infill during ground motion is a highly investigated phenomenon in the field of seismic engineering. This paper presents a numerical investigation of two distinct static out-of-plane loading methods for framed masonry wall models. The first and most common method is uniformly loaded infill. The load is generally induced by the airbag. The other method is similar to in-plane push-over method, involves loading of the frame directly, not the infill. Consequently, different openings with the same areas and various placements were examined. The numerical model is based on calibrated in-plane bare frame models and on calibrated wall models subjected to OoP bending. Both methods produced widely divergent results in terms of load bearing capabilities, failure modes, damage states etc. Summarily, uniform load on the panel causes more damage to the infill than to the frame; openings do influence structures behavior; three hinged arching action is developed; and greater resistance and deformations are obtained in comparison to the frame loading method. Loading the frame causes the infill to bear significantly greater damage than the infill; infill and openings only influence the behavior after reaching the peak load; infill does not influence initial stiffness; models with opening fail at same inter-storey drift ratio as the bare frame model.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.105-112
• /
• 2019

Fine aggregate made of ferronickel slag(FNS) is similar to natural fine aggregates and is used in concrete structures both domestically and abroad, but its applications and research areas are limited. In this research, in order to expand the availability of FNS and improve the performance of cement mortar products, the applicability of FNS on dry mortar for floor was examined. Experimental results show that FNS improves flow of cement mortar because it has low absorption rate, spherical shape, and glassy surface. Also, the high stiffness of the FNS aggregate itself is considered to contribute to the improvement of cement mortar quality such as crack reduction by improving the compressive strength and shrinkage reducing. In addition, when FNS fine aggregate is applied, it was possible to secure the impact sound insulation performance equal to or higher than that of mortar using natural fine aggregate.

• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.117-126
• /
• 2019

When designing reinforced concrete (RC) members, the rebar is assumed to resist all tensile forces, but the resistance of the concrete in the tension area is neglected. However, concrete can also resist tensile forces and increase the tensile stiffness of RC members, which is called the tension stiffening effect (TSE). Therefore, this study assessed the TSE, particularly after yielding of the steel bars and the effects of the steel ratio on the TSE. For this purpose, RC member specimens with steel ratios of 2.87%, 0.99%, and 0.59% were fabricated for uniaxial tensile tests. A vision-based non-contact measurement system was used to measure the behavior of the specimens. The cracks on the specimen at the stabilized cracking stage and the fracture stage were measured with the image analysis method. The results show that the number of cracks increases as the steel ratio increases. The reductions of the limit state and fracture strains were dependent on the ratio of the rebar. As the steel ratio decreased, the strain after yielding of the RC members significantly decreased. Therefore, the overall ductility of the RC member is reduced with decreasing steel ratio. The yielding plateau and ultimate load of the RC members obtained from the proposed equations showed very good agreement with those of the experiments. Finally, the image analysis method was possible to allow flexibility in expand the measurement points and targets to determine the strains and crack widths of the specimens.