• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.127-137
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• 2017

Identification of damping characteristics is of significant importance for dynamic response analysis and condition assessment of structural systems. Damping is associated with the behavior of the energy dissipation mechanism. Identification of damping ratios based on the sensitivity of dynamic responses and the model updating technique is investigated with numerical and experimental investigations. The effectiveness and performance of using the sensitivity-based model updating method and vibration monitoring data for damping ratios identification are investigated. Numerical studies on a three-dimensional truss bridge model are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Measurement noise effect and the initial finite element modelling errors are considered. The results demonstrate that the damping ratio identification with the proposed approach is not sensitive to the noise effect but could be affected significantly by the modelling errors. Experimental studies on a steel planar frame structure are conducted. The robustness and performance of the proposed damping identification approach are investigated with real measured vibration data. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach has a decent and reliable performance to identify the damping ratios.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제4권5호
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• pp.451-470
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• 2013

It generally accepted that most building structures shall exhibit a nonlinear response when subjected to medium-high intensity earthquakes. It is currently known, however, that this phenomenon is not properly modelled in the majority of cases, especially at the design stage, where only simple linear methods have effectively been used. Recently, as a result of the exponential progress of computational tools, nonlinear modelling and analysis have gradually been brought to a more promising level. A wide range of modelling alternatives developed over the years is hence at the designer's disposal for the seismic design and assessment of engineering structures. The objective of the study presented herein is to test some of these models in an existing structure, and observe their performance in nonlinear static and dynamic analyses. This evaluation is done by the use of two of a known range of advanced computer programs: SAP2000 and SeismoStruct. The different models will focus on the element flexural mechanism with both lumped and distributed plasticity element models. In order to appraise the reliability and feasibility of each alternative, the programs capabilities and the amount of labour and time required for modelling and performing the analyses are also discussed. The results obtained show the difficulties that may be met, not only in performing nonlinear analyses, but also on their dependency on both the chosen nonlinear structural models and the adopted computer programs. It is then suggested that these procedures should only be used by experienced designers, provided that they are aware of these difficulties and with a critical stance towards the result of the analyses.

• 한국병원경영학회지
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.24-32
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• 2017

Purpose: This study is to provide basic data for establishing successful organization management strategies of organizations by understanding rank systems and duty types of dental hygienists who work in dental hospitals. Methodology/Approach: The study conducted a survey and an interview survey two times targeting the entire dental hospitals. The first survey secured the response results of 113 hospitals in the result that conducted the survey targeting 190 dental hospitals in the whole country except 24 ones including dental college hospitals, dental hospitals affiliated with medical colleges or general hospitals, military dental hospitals, and dental hospitals for the disabled among the 214 ones which were registered in the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service as of December 2015. The second survey conducted the interview survey targeting persons in charge of personnel management by selecting 34 dental hospitals with rank systems of 4 rank systems and above. Finding: The dental hospital has found that dental hygienists-centered human resources were composed. The number of ranks has found that 1 to 6 levels are shown and level 3 is highest. Titles of staff levels have found that 32 places are highest in order of 'employees

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제13권6호
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• pp.501-519
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• 2012

As an alternative to current conventional force-based assessment methods, the energy-based seismic performance of a code-designed 20-storey high-rise steel building is evaluated in this paper. Using 3D nonlinear dynamic time-history method with consideration of additional material damping effect, the influences of different restoring force models and P-${\Delta}/{\delta}$ effects on energy components are investigated. By combining equivalent viscous damping and hysteretic damping ratios of the structure subjected to strong ground motions, a new damping model, which is amplitude-dependent, is discussed in detail. According to the analytical results, all energy components are affected to various extents by P-${\Delta}/{\delta}$ effects and a difference of less than 10% is observed; the energy values of the structure without consideration of P-${\Delta}/{\delta}$ effects are larger, while the restoring force models have a minor effect on seismic input energy with a difference of less than 5%, but they have a certain effect on both viscous damping energy and hysteretic energy with a difference of about 5~15%. The paper shows that the use of the hysteretic energy at its ultimate state as a seismic design parameter has more advantages than seismic input energy since it presents a more stable value. The total damping ratio of a structure consists of viscous damping ratio and hysteretic damping ratio and it is found that the equivalent viscous damping ratio is a constant for the structure, while the equivalent hysteretic damping ratio approximately increases linearly with structural response in elasto-plastic stage.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제45권2호
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• pp.246-253
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• 2021

Background: Ginseng is one of the most valuable herbal supplements. It is challenging to perform quality control of ginseng products due to the diversity of bioactive saponins in their composition. Acid or alkaline hydrolysis is often used for the structural elucidation of these saponins and sugars in their side chains. Complete transformation of the original ginsenosides into their aglycones during the hydrolysis is one of the ways to determine a total saponin group content. The main hurdle of this approach is the formation of various by-products that was reported by many authors. Methods: Separate HPLC assessment of the total protopanaxadiol, protopanaxatriol and ocotillol ginsenoside contents is a viable alternative to the determination of characteristic biomarkers of these saponin groups, such as ginsenoside Rf and pseudoginsenoside F₁₁, which are commonly used for authentication of P. ginseng Meyer and P. quinquefolius L. samples respectively. Moreover, total ginsenoside content is an ideal aggregated parameter for standardization and quality control of ginseng-based medicines, because it can be directly applied for saponin dosage calculation. Results: Different hydrolysis conditions were tested to develop accurate quantification method for the elucidation of total ginsenoside contents in herbal products. Linearity, limits of quantification, limits of detection, accuracy and precision were evaluated for the developed HPLC-MS method. Conclusion: Alkaline hydrolysis results in fewer by-products than sugar elimination in acidic conditions. An equimolar response, as a key parameter for quantification, was established for several major ginsenosides. The developed approach has shown acceptable results in the analysis of several different herbal products.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제80권6호
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• pp.645-655
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• 2021

Performance-based reliability analysis is a practical approach to investigate the seismic performance and stochastic nonlinear response of structures considering a random process. This is significant due to the uncertainties involved in every aspect of the analysis. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the performance-based reliability within a stochastic finite element (FE) framework for reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls that are considered as one of the most essential elements of structures. To accomplish this purpose, deterministic FE analyses are conducted for both squat and slender shear walls to validate numerical models through experimental results. The presented numerical analysis is performed by using the ABAQUS FE program. Afterwards, a random-effects investigation is carried out to consider the influence of different random variables on the lateral load-top displacement behavior of RC members. Using these results and through utilizing the Monte-Carlo simulation method, stochastic nonlinear analyses are also performed to generate random FE models based on input parameters and their probabilistic distributions. In order to evaluate the reliability of RC walls, failure probabilities and corresponding reliability indices are calculated at life safety and collapse prevention levels of performance as suggested by FEMA 356. Moreover, based on reliability indices, capacity reduction factors are determined subjected to shear for all specimens that are designed according to the ACI 318 Building Code. Obtained results show that the lateral load and the compressive strength of concrete have the highest effects on load-displacement responses compared to those of other random variables. It is also found that the probability of shear failure for the squat wall is slightly lower than that for slender walls. This implies that 𝛽 values are higher in a non-ductile mode of failure. Besides, the reliability of both squat and slender shear walls does not change significantly in the case of varying capacity reduction factors.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제80권6호
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• pp.749-765
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• 2021

Suspension bridges bear large eccentric live loads in rush hours when most vehicles travel in one direction on the left or right side of the bridge. With the increasing number and weight of vehicles and the girder widening, the eccentric live load effect on the bridge behavior, including bending and distortion of the main girder, gets more pronounced, even jeopardizing bridge safety. This study proposes an analytical algorithm based on multi-catenary theory for predicting the suspension bridge responses to eccentric live load via the nonlinear generalized reduced gradient method. A set of governing equations is derived to solve the following unknown values: the girder rigid-body displacement in the longitudinal direction; the horizontal projection lengths of main cable's segments; the parameters of catenary equations and horizontal forces of the side span cable segments and the leftmost segments of middle span cables; the suspender tensions and the bearing reactions. Then girder's responses, including rigid-body displacement in the longitudinal direction, deflections, and torsion angles; suspenders' responses, including the suspender tensions and the hanging point displacements; main cables' responses, including the horizontal forces of each segment; and the longitudinal displacement of the pylons' tower top under eccentric load can be calculated. The response of an exemplar suspension bridge with three spans of 168, 548, and 168 m is calculated by the proposed analytical method and the finite element method in two eccentric live load cases, and their results prove the former's feasibility. The nonuniform distribution of the live load in the lateral direction is shown to impose a greater threat to suspension bridge safety than that in the longitudinal direction, while some other specific features revealed by the proposed method are discussed in detail.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제88권2호
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• pp.117-128
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• 2023

On February 6, 2023, Türkiye woke up with a strong ground motion felt in a wide geography. As a result of the Kahramanmaraş, Pazarcık and Elbistan earthquakes, which took place 9 hours apart, there was great destruction and loss of life. The 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes occurred on active faults known to pose a high seismic hazard, but their effects were devastating. Seismic code spectra were investigated in Hatay, Adıyaman and Kahramanmaraş where destruction is high. The study mainly focuses on the investigation of ground motion parameters of 6 February Kahramanmaraş earthquakes and the correlation between ground motion parameters. In addition, earthquakes greater than Mw 5.0 that occurred in Türkiye were compared with certain seismic parameters. As in the strong ground motion studies, seismic energy parameters such as Arias intensity, characteristic intensity, cumulative absolute velocity and specific energy density were determined, especially considering the duration content of the earthquake. Based on the study, it was concluded that the structures were overloaded far beyond their normal design levels. This, coupled with significant vertical seismic components, is a contributing factor to the collapse of many buildings in the area. In the evaluation made on Arias intensity, much more energy (approximately ten times) emerged in Kahramanmaraş earthquakes compared to other Türkiye earthquakes. No good correlation was found between moment magnitude and peak ground accelerations, peak ground velocities, Arias intensities and ground motion durations in Türkiye earthquakes. Both high seismic components and long ground motion durations caused intense energy to be transferred to the structures. No strong correlation was found between ground motion durations and other seismic parameters. There is a strong positive correlation between PGA and seismic energy parameter AI. Kahramanmaraş earthquakes revealed that changes should be made in the Turkish seismic code to predict higher spectral acceleration values, especially in earthquake-prone regions in Türkiye.

• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.237-246
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• 2024

In recent years, the frequent occurrence of fire accidents in university libraries has posed significant threats to the safety of students' lives and property, alongside negative social impacts. Accurately analyzing the factors affecting evacuation during library fires and proposing optimized measures for safe evacuation is thus crucial. This paper utilizes a specific university library as a case study, simulating fire evacuation scenarios using the Pathfinder software, to assess and validate evacuation strategies and propose relevant optimizations. Pathfinder, developed by Thunderhead Engineering in the United States, is an intuitive and straightforward personnel emergency evacuation assessment system, offering advanced visualization interfaces and 3D animation effects. This study aims to construct evacuation models and perform simulation analysis for the selected university library using Pathfinder. The library's structural layout, people flow characteristics, and the nature of fire and smoke spread are considered in the analysis. Additionally, evacuation scenarios involving different fire outbreak locations and the status of emergency exits are examined. The findings underscore the importance of effective evacuation in fire situations, highlighting how environmental conditions, individual characteristics, and behavioral patterns significantly influence evacuation efficiency. Through these investigations, the study enhances understanding and optimization of evacuation strategies in fire scenarios, thereby improving safety and efficiency. The research not only provides concrete and practical guidelines for building design, management, and emergency response planning in libraries but also offers valuable insights for the design and management of effective evacuation systems in buildings, crucial for ensuring occupant safety and minimizing loss of life in potential hazard situations

• 한국지반공학회논문집
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.35-43
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• 2012

동반논문(I. 국외 내진설계기준 및 부지응답특성과의 비교)에 이어서 2-매개변수 지반분류 방법의 지반 증폭계수가 국내 지반조건 및 지반증폭특성에 적합함을 검증하기 위하여, 2003년 이후 국내에서 발생 또는 영향을 미친 주요 지진에 대한 계측 기록을 분석하였다. 거리가 30km 이내인 암반 계측 관측소와 토사지반 계측 관측소의 계측 자료들을 추출하여 시간영역 가속도 신호로부터 암반 및 토사지반에서의 응답스펙트럼을 각각 결정하였고, 이로부터 단주기 및 장주기 증폭계수를 결정하였다. 일부 오류가 발생한 데이터들도 존재하였지만, 대부분 국내 지반 특성에 적합하도록 단주기 영역에서의 증폭이 장주기 영역보다 크게 나타났다. 또한 2-매개변수 지반분류 방법에서 제안하는 지반 증폭계수는 실지진 계측 기록으로부터 획득한 결과와 매우 유사한 경향을 보임으로써 타당성을 확인하였다. 또한, 한국전력연구원에서 운영중인 4개의 765kV 변전소 지진 계측 기록을 추가적으로 분석하였다. 암반 계측과 토사지반 계측 사이의 거리가 수백 m로 가깝게 설치되었으므로 오류 없이 일관된 결과를 도출하였고, 2-매개변수 지반분류 방법의 지반 증폭계수는 경향성 및 절대값에서 실지진 계측 자료 분석 결과와 유사성을 보이면서 국내 지반 조건에 대한 적합성을 검증하였다.