Search results for: P element

Authors: Felix Eyben, Simon Schaffrath, Markus Feldmann

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A building should maximize the potential for use through its design. Therefore, flexible use is always important when designing a steel structure. To create flexibility, steel beams with web openings are increasingly used, because these offer the advantage that cables, pipes and other technical equipment can easily be routed through without detours, allowing for more space-saving and aesthetically pleasing construction. This can also significantly reduce the height of ceiling systems. Until now, beams with web openings were not explicitly considered in the European standard. However, this is to be done with the new EN 1993-1-13, in which design rules for different opening forms are defined. In order to further develop the design concepts, beams with web openings under bending are therefore to be investigated in terms of damage mechanics as part of a German national research project aiming to optimize the verifications for steel structures based on a wider database and a validated damage prediction. For this purpose, first, fundamental factors influencing the load-bearing behavior of girders with web openings under bending load were investigated numerically without taking material damage into account. Various parameter studies were carried out for this purpose. For example, the factors under study were the opening shape, size and position as well as structural aspects as the span length, arrangement of stiffeners and loading situation. The load-bearing behavior is evaluated using resulting load-deformation curves. These results are compared with the design rules and critically analyzed. Experimental tests are also planned based on these results. Moreover, the implementation of damage mechanics in the form of the modified Bai-Wierzbicki model was examined. After the experimental tests will have been carried out, the numerical models are validated and further influencing factors will be investigated on the basis of parametric studies.

Keywords: damage mechanics, finite element, steel structures, web openings

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Authors: S. Fominow, C. Dobert

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The present article describes the research that deals with the development of equivalent geometric imperfections for the stability design of steel members considering lateral-torsional buckling. The application of these equivalent imperfections takes into account the stiffness-reducing effects due to inelasticity and residual stresses, which lead to a reduction of the load carrying capacity of slender members and structures. This allows the application of a simplified design method, that is performed in three steps. Application of equivalent geometric imperfections, determination of internal forces using geometrical non-linear analysis (GNIA) and verification of the cross-section resistance at the most unfavourable location. All three verification steps are closely related and influence the results. The derivation of the equivalent imperfections was carried out in several steps. First, reference lateral-torsional buckling resistances for various rolled I-sections, slenderness grades, load shapes and steel grades were determined. This was done either with geometric and material non-linear analysis with geometrical imperfections and residual stresses (GMNIA) or for standard cases based on the equivalent member method. With the aim of obtaining identical lateral-torsional buckling resistances as the reference resistances from the application of the design method, the required sizes for equivalent imperfections were derived. For this purpose, a program based on the FEM method has been developed. Based on these results, several proposals for the specification of equivalent geometric imperfections have been developed. These differ in the shape of the applied equivalent geometric imperfection, the model of the cross-sectional resistance and the steel grade. The proposed design methods allow a wide range of applications and a reliable calculation of the lateral-torsional buckling resistances, as comparisons between the calculated resistances and the reference resistances have shown.

Keywords: equivalent geometric imperfections, GMNIA, lateral-torsional buckling, non-linear finite element analysis

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Authors: Vidula Shevade, B. J. Nagare, Sajeev Chacko

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First principles simulation, meaning density functional theory (DFT) calculations with plane waves and pseudopotential, has become a prized technique in condensed matter theory. Nanoparticles (NP) have been known to possess good catalytic activities, especially for molecules such as CO, O₂, etc. Among the metal NPs, Aluminium based NPs are also widely known for their catalytic properties. Aluminium metal is a lightweight, excellent electrical, and thermal abundant chemical element in the earth’s crust. Aluminium NPs, when added to solid rocket fuel, help improve the combustion speed and considerably increase combustion heat and combustion stability. Adding aluminium NPs into normal Al/Al₂O₃ powder improves the sintering processes of the ceramics, with high heat transfer performance, increased density, and enhanced thermal conductivity of the sinter. We used VASP and Gaussian 0₃ package to compute the geometries, electronic structure, and bonding properties of Al₁₂Ni as well as its interaction with O₂ and CO molecules. Several MD simulations were carried out using VASP at various temperatures from which hundreds of structures were optimized, leading to 24 unique structures. These structures were then further optimized through a Gaussian package. The lowest energy structure of Al₁₂Ni has been reported to be a singlet. However, through our extensive search, we found a triplet state to be lower in energy. In our structure, the Ni atom is found to be on the surface, which gives the non-zero magnetic moment. Incidentally, O2 and CO molecules are also triplet in nature, due to which the Al₁₂-Ni cluster is likely to facilitate the oxidation process of the CO molecule. Our results show that the most favourable site for the CO molecule is the Ni atom and that for the O₂ molecule is the Al atom that is nearest to the Ni atom. Al₁₂Ni-O₂ and Al₁₂-Ni-CO structures we extracted using VMD. Al₁₂Ni nanocluster, due to in triplet electronic structure configuration, indicates it to be a potential candidate as a catalyst for oxidation of CO molecules.

Keywords: catalyst, gaussian, nanoparticles, oxidation

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Authors: Gelacio JuáRez-Luna, Daniel Enrique GonzáLez-RamíRez, Enrique Tenorio-Montero

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Frame elements coupled with springs elements are used for modelling the development of hinges in segmented tunnels, the spring elements modelled the rotational, transversal and axial failure. These spring elements are equipped with constitutive models to include independently the moment, shear force and axial force, respectively. These constitutive models are formulated based on damage mechanics and experimental test reported in the literature review. The mesh of the segmented tunnels was discretized in the software GID, and the nonlinear analyses were carried out in the finite element software ANSYS. These analyses provide the capacity curve of the primary and secondary lining of a segmented tunnel. Two numerical examples of segmented tunnels show the capability of the spring elements to release energy by the development of hinges. The first example is a segmental concrete lining discretized with frame elements loaded until hinges occurred in the lining. The second example is a tunnel with primary and secondary lining, discretized with a double ring frame model. The outer ring simulates the segmental concrete lining and the inner ring simulates the secondary cast-in-place concrete lining. Spring elements also modelled the joints between the segments in the circumferential direction and the ring joints, which connect parallel adjacent rings. The computed load vs displacement curves are congruent with numerical and experimental results reported in the literature review. It is shown that the modelling of a tunnel with primary and secondary lining with frame elements and springs provides reasonable results and save computational cost, comparing with 2D or 3D models equipped with smeared crack models.

Keywords: damage, hinges, lining, tunnel

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Authors: R. C. Tiwari, N. P. Bhandary, D. B. Thapa Chhetri, R. Yatabe

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The research enlightens the various issues of lake expansion and stability of the moraine dam of Imja lake. The Imja lake considered that the world highest altitude lake (5010m from m.s.l.), located in the Khumbu, Sagarmatha region of Nepal (27.90 N and 86.90 E) was reported as one of the fast growing glacier lakes in the Nepal Himalaya. The research explores a common phenomenon of lake expansion and stability issues of moraine dam to justify the necessity of lake lowering efforts if any in future in other glacier lakes in Nepal Himalaya. For this, we have explored the root causes of rapid lake expansion along with crucial factors responsible for the stability of moraine mass. This research helps to understand the structure of moraine dam and the ice, water and moraine interactions to the strength of moraine dam. The nature of permafrost layer and its effects on moraine dam stability is also studied here. The detail Geo-Technical properties of moraine mass of Imja lake gives a clear picture of the strength of the moraine material and their interactions. The stability analysis of the moraine dam under the consideration of strong ground motion of 7.8Mw 2015 Barpak-Gorkha and its major aftershock 7.3Mw Kodari, Sindhupalchowk-Dolakha border, Nepal earthquakes have also been carried out here to understand the necessity of lake lowering efforts. The lake lowering effort was recently done by Nepal Army by constructing an open channel and lowered 3m. And, it is believed that the entire region is now safe due to continuous draining of lake water by 3m. But, this option does not seem adequate to offer a significant risk reduction to downstream communities in this much amount of volume and depth, lowering as in the 75 million cubic meter water impounded with an average depth of 148.9m.

Keywords: finite element method, glacier, moraine, stability

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Authors: Nesreddine Djafar Henni, Akram Khelaifia, Salah Guettala, Rachid Chebili

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Reinforced concrete shear walls and vertical plate-like elements play a pivotal role in efficiently managing a building's response to seismic forces. This study investigates how the performance of reinforced concrete buildings equipped with shear walls featuring different shear wall-to-frame stiffness ratios aligns with the requirements stipulated in the Algerian seismic code RPA99v2003, particularly in high-seismicity regions. Seven distinct 3D finite element models are developed and evaluated through nonlinear static analysis. Engineering Demand Parameters (EDPs) such as lateral displacement, inter-story drift ratio, shear force, and bending moment along the building height are analyzed. The findings reveal two predominant categories of induced responses: force-based and displacement-based EDPs. Furthermore, as the shear wall-to-frame ratio increases, there is a concurrent increase in force-based EDPs and a decrease in displacement-based ones. Examining the distribution of shear walls from both force and displacement perspectives, model G with the highest stiffness ratio, concentrating stiffness at the building's center, intensifies induced forces. This configuration necessitates additional reinforcements, leading to a conservative design approach. Conversely, model C, with the lowest stiffness ratio, distributes stiffness towards the periphery, resulting in minimized induced shear forces and bending moments, representing an optimal scenario with maximal performance and minimal strength requirements.

Keywords: dual RC buildings, RC shear walls, modeling, static nonlinear pushover analysis, optimization, seismic performance

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Authors: E. Faizan, Wahab Abdul Ghafar, Tao Zhong

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Steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) are a robust lateral load resistance structure because of their high flexibility and efficient energy dissipation when subjected to seismic loads. This research investigates the seismic performance of an innovative infill web strip (IWS-SPSW) and a typical unstiffened steel plate shear wall (USPSW). As a result, two 1:3 scale specimens of an IWS-SPSW and USPSW with a single story and a single bay were built and subjected to a cyclic lateral loading methodology. In the prototype, the beam-to-column connections were accomplished with the assistance of semi-rigid end-plate connectors. IWS-SPSW demonstrated exceptional ductility and shear load-bearing capacity during the testing process, with no cracks or other damage occurring. In addition, the IWS-SPSW could effectively dissipate energy without causing a significant amount of beam-column connection distortion. The shear load-bearing capacity of the USPSW was exceptional. However, it exhibited low ductility, severe infill plate corner ripping, and huge infill web plate cracks. The FE models were created and then confirmed using the experimental data. It has been demonstrated that the infill web strips of an SPSW system can affect the system's high performance and total energy dissipation. In addition, a parametric analysis was carried out to evaluate the material qualities of the IWS, which can considerably improve the system's seismic performances. These properties include the steel's strength as well as its thickness.

Keywords: steel shear walls, seismic performance, failure mode, hysteresis response, nonlinear finite element analysis, parametric study

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Authors: D. Jagath Kumari, K. Srinivasa Rao

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Reinforced concrete column is an important structural element in a building. Concrete usually performs well in building fires. However, when it is subjected to prolonged fire exposure or unusually high temperatures, and then it will suffer significant distress. Because concrete pre-fire compressive strength generally exceeds design requirements, therefore an average strength reduction can be tolerated. However high temperature reduces the compressive strength of concrete so much that the concrete retains no useful structural strength. Therefore the residual strength and its performance of structure can be assed by NDT testing. In this paper, rebound hammer test and the ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) are used to evaluate the residual compressive strength and material integrity of post-fire-curing concrete subjected to elevated temperatures. Also considering the large availability of fly ash in most of the countries, an attempt was made to study the effect of high volume fly ash concrete exposed to elevated temperatures. 32 RC column specimens were made with a M20 grade concrete mix. Out of 32 column specimens 16 column specimens were made with OPC concrete and other 16 column specimens were made with HVFA concrete. All specimens having similar cross-section details. Columns were exposed to fire for temperatures from 100oC to 800o C with increments of 100o C for duration of 3 hours. Then the specimens allowed cooling to room temperature by two methods natural air cooling method and immediate water quenching method. All the specimens were tested identically, for the compressive strengths and material integrity by rebound hammer and ultrasonic pulse velocity meter respectively for study. These two tests were carried out on preheating and post heating of the column specimens. The percentage variation of compressive strengths of RCC columns with the increase in temperature has been studied and compared the results for both OPC and HVFA concretes. Physical observations of the heated columns were observed.

Keywords: HVFA concrete, NDT testing, residual strength

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Authors: Fang Li, Xie-Yuan Yin, Xie-Zhen Yin

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Instability and breakup of electrified viscoelastic liquid jets are involved in various applications such as inkjet printing, fuel atomization, the pharmaceutical industry, electrospraying, and electrospinning. Studying on the instability of electrified viscoelastic liquid jets is of theoretical and practical significance. We built a one-dimensional electrified viscoelastic model to study the nonlinear instability behavior of a perfecting conducting, slightly viscoelastic liquid jet under a radial electric field. The model is solved numerically by using an implicit finite difference scheme together with a boundary element method. It is found that under a radial electric field a viscoelastic liquid jet still evolves into a beads-on-string structure with a thin filament connecting two adjacent droplets as in the absence of an electric field. A radial electric field exhibits limited influence on the decay of the filament thickness in the nonlinear evolution process of a viscoelastic jet, in contrast to its great enhancing effect on the linear instability of the jet. On the other hand, a radial electric field can induce axial non-uniformity of the first normal stress difference within the filament. Particularly, the magnitude of the first normal stress difference near the midpoint of the filament can be greatly decreased by a radial electric field. Decreasing the extensional stress by a radial electric field may found applications in spraying, spinning, liquid bridges and others. In addition, the effect of a radial electric field on the formation of satellite droplets is investigated on the parametric plane of the dimensionless wave number and the electrical Bond number. It is found that satellite droplets may be formed for a larger axial wave number at a larger radial electric field. The present study helps us gain insight into the nonlinear instability characteristics of electrified viscoelastic liquid jets.

Keywords: non linear instability, one-dimensional models, radial electric fields, viscoelastic liquid jets

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Authors: Sina Mahdavi

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Background and Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of the CNS that affects the myelination process in the central nervous system (CNS). Complex interactions of various "environmental or infectious" factors may act as triggers in autoimmunity and disease progression. The association between viral infections, especially human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) and MS is one potential cause that is not well understood. This study aims to summarize the available data on HERV infection in MS disease progression. Materials and Methods: For this study, the keywords "Multiple sclerosis", "Human endogenous retrovirus", and "central nervous system" in the databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Sid, and MagIran between 2016 and 2022 were searched and 14 articles chosen, studied, and analyzed. Results: In the leptomeningeal cells of MS patients, a retrovirus-like element associated with reverse transcriptase (RT) activity called multiple sclerosis-associated retroviruses (MSRV) has been identified. HERVs are expressed in the human CNS despite mechanisms to suppress their expression. External factors, especially viral infections such as influenza virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and herpes simplex virus type 1, can activate HERV gene expression. The MSRV coat protein is activated by activating TLR4 at the brain surface, particularly in oligodendroglial progenitor cells and macrophages, leading to immune cascades followed by the downregulation of myelin protein expression. The HERV-K18 envelope gene (env) acts as a superantigen and induces inflammatory responses in patients with MS. Conclusion: There is a high expression of endogenous retroviruses during the course of MS, which indicates the relationship between HERV and MS, that this virus can play a role in the development of MS by creating an inflammatory state. Therefore, measures to modulate the expression of endogenous retroviruses may be effective in reducing inflammatory processes in demyelinated areas of MS patients.

Keywords: multiple sclerosis, human endogenous retrovirus, central nervous system, MSRV

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Authors: Tooran Tavangar, Masoud Hosseinpoor, Jeffrey S. Marshall, Ammar Yahia, Kamal Henri Khayat

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In this study, a four-way coupled CFD-DEM methodology was used to simulate the behavior of concrete pipe flow. Fresh concrete, characterized as a biphasic suspension, features aggregates comprising the solid-suspended phase with diverse particle-size distributions (PSD) within a non-Newtonian cement paste/mortar matrix forming the liquid phase. The fluid phase was simulated using CFD, while the aggregates were modeled using DEM. Interaction forces between the fluid and solid particles were considered through CFD-DEM computations. To capture the viscoelastic characteristics of the suspending fluid, a bi-viscous approach was adopted, incorporating a critical shear rate proportional to the yield stress of the mortar. In total, three diphasic suspensions were simulated, each featuring distinct particle size distributions and a concentration of 10% for five subclasses of spherical particles ranging from 1 to 17 mm in a suspending fluid. The adopted bi-viscous approach successfully simulated both un-sheared (plug flow) and sheared zones. Furthermore, shear-induced particle migration (SIPM) was assessed by examining coefficients of variation in particle concentration across the pipe. These SIPM values were then compared with results obtained using CFD-DEM under the Newtonian assumption. The study highlighted the crucial role of yield stress in the mortar phase, revealing that lower yield stress values can lead to increased flow rates and higher SIPM across the pipe.

Keywords: computational fluid dynamics, concrete pumping, coupled CFD-DEM, discrete element method, plug flow, shear-induced particle migration.

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Authors: Souhir Abid

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The growing interest in vegetal biomass as an alternative for fossil resources has stimulated the development of numerous classes of monomers. Polymers from renewable resources have attracted an increasing amount of attention over the last two decades, predominantly due to two major reasons (i) firstly environmental concerns, and (ii) secondly the use of monomers from renewable feedstock is a steadily growing field of interest in order to reduce the amount of petroleum consumed in the chemical industry and to open new high-value-added markets to agriculture. Furanic polymers have been considered as alternative environmentally friendly polymers. In our earlier work, modifying furanic polyesters by incorporation of amide functions along their backbone, lead to a particular class of polymer ‘poly(ester-amide)s’, was investigated to combine the excellent mechanical properties of polyamides and the biodegradability of polyesters. As a continuation of our studies on this family of polymer, a series of furanic poly(ester-amide)s bearing sulfonate groups in the main chain were synthesized from 5,5’-Isopropylidene-bis(ethyl 2-furoate), dimethyl 5-sodiosulfoisophthalate, ethylene glycol and hexamethylene diamine by melt polycondensation using zinc acetate as a catalyst. In view of the complexity of the NMR spectrum analysis of the resulting sulfonated poly(ester-amide)s, we found that it is useful to prepare initially the corresponding homopolymers: sulfonated polyesters and polyamides. Structural data of these polymers will be used as a basic element in 1H NMR characterization. The hydrolytic degradation in acidic aqueous conditions (pH = 4,35 ) at 37 °C over the period of four weeks show that the mechanism of the hydrolysis of poly(ester amide)s was elucidated in relation with the microstructure. The strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions between amide functions and water molecules increases the hydrophilicity of the macromolecular chains and consequently their hydrolytic degradation.

Keywords: furan, hydrolytic degradation, polycondensation, poly(ester amide)

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Authors: L. Melzerová, T. Janda, M. Šejnoha, J. Šejnoha

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Two finite element (FEM) models are presented in this paper to address the random nature of the response of glued timber structures made of wood segments with variable elastic moduli evaluated from 3600 indentation measurements. This total database served to create the same number of ensembles as was the number of segments in the tested beam. Statistics of these ensembles were then assigned to given segments of beams and the Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) method was called to perform 100 simulations resulting into the ensemble of 100 deflections subjected to statistical evaluation. Here, a detailed geometrical arrangement of individual segments in the laminated beam was considered in the construction of two-dimensional FEM model subjected to in four-point bending to comply with the laboratory tests. Since laboratory measurements of local elastic moduli may in general suffer from a significant experimental error, it appears advantageous to exploit the full scale measurements of timber beams, i.e. deflections, to improve their prior distributions with the help of the Bayesian statistical method. This, however, requires an efficient computational model when simulating the laboratory tests numerically. To this end, a simplified model based on Mindlin’s beam theory was established. The improved posterior distributions show that the most significant change of the Young’s modulus distribution takes place in laminae in the most strained zones, i.e. in the top and bottom layers within the beam center region. Posterior distributions of moduli of elasticity were subsequently utilized in the 2D FEM model and compared with the original simulations.

Keywords: Bayesian inference, FEM, four point bending test, laminated timber, parameter estimation, prior and posterior distribution, Young’s modulus

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Authors: Li-Kai Kuo, Shyh-Hau Wang

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The kinetic trajectory of the median nerve (MN) in the wrist has shown to be capable of being applied to assess the carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and was found able to be detected by high-frequency ultrasound image via motion tracking technique. Yet, previous study may not quickly perform the measurement due to the use of a single element transducer for ultrasound image scanning. Therefore, previous system is not appropriate for being applied to clinical application. In the present study, B-mode ultrasound images of the wrist corresponding to movements of fingers from flexion to extension were acquired by clinical applicable real-time scanner. The kinetic trajectories of MN were off-line estimated utilizing two dimensional Baysian speckle tracking (TDBST) technique. The experiments were carried out from ten volunteers by ultrasound scanner at 12 MHz frequency. Results verified from phantom experiments have demonstrated that TDBST technique is able to detect the movement of MN based on signals of the past and present information and then to reduce the computational complications associated with the effect of such image quality as the resolution and contrast variations. Moreover, TDBST technique tended to be more accurate than that of the normalized cross correlation tracking (NCCT) technique used in previous study to detect movements of the MN in the wrist. In response to fingers’ flexion movement, the kinetic trajectory of the MN moved toward the ulnar-palmar direction, and then toward the radial-dorsal direction corresponding to the extensional movement. TDBST technique and the employed ultrasound image scanner have verified to be feasible to sensitively detect the kinetic trajectory and displacement of the MN. It thus could be further applied to diagnose CTS clinically and to improve the measurements to assess 3D trajectory of the MN.

Keywords: baysian speckle tracking, carpal tunnel syndrome, median nerve, motion tracking

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Authors: S. K. Hashemi, M. A. Bradford, H. R. Valipour

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The Recent collapse of bridges has raised the awareness about safety and robustness of bridges subjected to extreme loading scenarios such as intentional/unintentional blast loads. The air blast generated by the explosion of bombs or fuel tankers leads to high-magnitude short-duration loading scenarios that can cause severe structural damage and loss of critical structural members. Hence, more attentions need to put towards bridge structures to develop guidelines to increase the resistance of such structures against the probable blast. Recent advancements in numerical methods have brought about the viable and cost effective facilities to simulate complicated blast scenarios and subsequently provide useful reference for safeguarding design of critical infrastructures. In the previous studies common bridge responses to blast load, the traffic load is sometimes not included in the analysis. Including traffic load will increase the axial compression in bridge piers especially when the axial load is relatively small. Traffic load also can reduce the uplift of girders and deck when the bridge experiences under deck explosion. For more complicated structures like cable-stayed or suspension bridges, however, the effect of traffic loads can be completely different. The tension in the cables increase and progressive collapse is likely to happen while traffic loads exist. Accordingly, this study is an attempt to simulate the effect of traffic load cases on the maximum local and global response of an entire cable-stayed bridge subjected to blast loadings using LS-DYNA explicit finite element code. The blast loads ranged from small to large explosion placed at different positions above the deck. Furthermore, the variation of the traffic load factor in the load combination and its effect on the dynamic response of the bridge under blast load is investigated.

Keywords: blast, cable-stayed bridge, LS-DYNA, numerical, traffic load

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Authors: Laetitia Dari

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The brand constitutes a source of differentiation between competitors. It highlights specific characteristics that create value for the enterprise. Today the concept of a brand is not just about the product but can concern territories. The competition between territories, due to tourism, research, jobs, etc., leads territories to develop territorial brands to bring out their identity and specificity. Some territorial brands are based on natural resources or products characteristic of a territory. In the French wood sector, we can observe the emergence of many territorial brands. Supported by the inter-professional organization, these brands have the main objective of showcasing wood as a source of solutions at the local level in terms of construction and energy. The implementation of these collective projects raises the question of the way in which relations between companies are structured and animated. The central question of our work is to understand how the territorial brand promotes the structuring of a sector and the construction of collective relations between actors. In other words, we are interested in the conditions for the emergence of the territorial brand and the way in which it will be a means of mobilizing the actors around a common project. The objectives of the research are (1) to understand in which context a territorial brand emerges, (2) to analyze the way in which the territorial brand structures the collective relations between actors, (3) to give entry keys to the actors to successfully develop this type of project. Thus, our research is based on a qualitative methodology with semi-structured interviews conducted with the main territorial brands in France. The research will answer various academic and empirical questions. From an academic point of view, it brings elements of understanding to the construction of a collective project and to the way in which governance operates. From an empirical point of view, the interest of our work is to bring out the key success factors in the development of a territorial brand and how the brand can become an element of valuation for a territory.

Keywords: brand, marketing, strategy, territory, third party stakeholder, wood

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Authors: Amy Yee Kai Wan

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The arrival of a new baby to first-time parents is an exciting and joyous occasion, yet, the daunting task of raising the baby and the uncertainty of how it will affect the lives of the couple present a great challenge to them. This study examines the causes of conflicts and needs of the new parents through a qualitative research of five pairs of new parents in Hong Kong. Semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted to explore the changes babies brought to their marriages, sources of support they received and found important and assistance they felt would help with their transition to parenthood. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the commonalities and differences between the five couples’ subjective experiences. Narrative analysis was used to compare the experiences of two parents who are the under-functioning parent of the couple, to study the different strategies they employed in response to the over-functioning parent and to analyze how the marital relationships were affected. Four main themes emerged from the study: 1) Change and adjustment in marital relationship, 2) parents’ level of involvement, 3) support in childcaring, and 4) challenges faced by the parents. Results from the study indicated that father involvement in childcaring is an important element in mother’s marital satisfaction Father’s marital satisfaction is dependent upon the mother – her satisfaction with father involvement, which affects the mother’s marital satisfaction. Marital convergence and co-parenting alliance acted as moderators for marital satisfaction. Implications from the study include: i) offering programmes that improve couple relationship and enhance parenting efficacy in tandem to improve overall marital satisfaction, and ii) offering prenatal counselling services or provide education to new parents from prenatal to postnatal period that can help couples reduce discrepancies between expectations and realities of their marital relationship and parenting responsibilities after their baby is born.

Keywords: co-parenting alliance, father involvement, marital convergence, maternal gatekeeping, new parents, transition to parenthood

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Authors: Chongyang Ye, Rong Liu

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Elastic compression stockings (ECSs) have been widely applied in prophylaxis and treatment of chronic venous insufficiency of lower extremities. The medical function of ECS is to improve venous return and increase muscular pumping action to facilitate blood circulation, which is largely determined by the complex interaction between the ECS and lower limb tissues. Understanding the mechanical transmission of ECS along the skin surface, deeper tissues, and vascular system is essential to assess the effectiveness of the ECSs. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of the leg-ECS system integrated with a 3D fluid-solid interaction (FSI) model of the leg-vein system was constructed to analyze the biomechanical properties of veins and soft tissues under different ECS compression. The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the human leg was divided into three regions, including soft tissues, bones (tibia and fibula) and veins (peroneal vein, great saphenous vein, and small saphenous vein). The ECSs with pressure ranges from 15 to 26 mmHg (Classes I and II) were adopted in the developed FE-FSI model. The soft tissue was assumed as a Neo-Hookean hyperelastic model with the fixed bones, and the ECSs were regarded as an orthotropic elastic shell. The interfacial pressure and stress transmission were simulated by the FE model, and venous hemodynamics properties were simulated by the FSI model. The experimental validation indicated that the simulated interfacial pressure distributions were in accordance with the pressure measurement results. The developed model can be used to predict interfacial pressure, stress transmission, and venous hemodynamics exerted by ECSs and optimize the structure and materials properties of ECSs design, thus improving the efficiency of compression therapy.

Keywords: elastic compression stockings, fluid-solid interaction, tissue and vein properties, prediction

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Authors: Shouji Yujiro, Memei Dukovic, Mist Yakubu

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Fields are important objects of study in algebra since they provide a useful generalization of many number systems, such as the rational numbers, real numbers, and complex numbers. In particular, the usual rules of associativity, commutativity and distributivity hold. Fields also appear in many other areas of mathematics; see the examples below. When abstract algebra was first being developed, the definition of a field usually did not include commutativity of multiplication, and what we today call a field would have been called either a commutative field or a rational domain. In contemporary usage, a field is always commutative. A structure which satisfies all the properties of a field except possibly for commutativity, is today called a division ring ordivision algebra or sometimes a skew field. Also non-commutative field is still widely used. In French, fields are called corps (literally, body), generally regardless of their commutativity. When necessary, a (commutative) field is called corps commutative and a skew field-corps gauche. The German word for body is Körper and this word is used to denote fields; hence the use of the blackboard bold to denote a field. The concept of fields was first (implicitly) used to prove that there is no general formula expressing in terms of radicals the roots of a polynomial with rational coefficients of degree 5 or higher. An extension of a field k is just a field K containing k as a subfield. One distinguishes between extensions having various qualities. For example, an extension K of a field k is called algebraic, if every element of K is a root of some polynomial with coefficients in k. Otherwise, the extension is called transcendental. The aim of Galois Theory is the study of algebraic extensions of a field. Given a field k, various kinds of closures of k may be introduced. For example, the algebraic closure, the separable closure, the cyclic closure et cetera. The idea is always the same: If P is a property of fields, then a P-closure of k is a field K containing k, having property, and which is minimal in the sense that no proper subfield of K that contains k has property P. For example if we take P (K) to be the property ‘every non-constant polynomial f in K[t] has a root in K’, then a P-closure of k is just an algebraic closure of k. In general, if P-closures exist for some property P and field k, they are all isomorphic. However, there is in general no preferable isomorphism between two closures.

Keywords: field theory, mechanic maths, supertech, rolltech

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Authors: Chang-Fa Liu, Yi-Ting Wang, Yuan Liu, Hai-Feng Wei, Lei Fang, Jin Li

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Heavy metals in sediments can cause adverse ecological effects while it exceeds a given criteria. The present study investigated sediment environmental quality, pollutant enrichment, ecological risk, and source identification for copper, cadmium, lead, zinc, mercury, and arsenic in the sediments collected from tidal flat marsh of Shuangtai estuary, China. The arithmetic mean integrated pollution index, geometric mean integrated pollution index, fuzzy integrated pollution index, and principal component score were used to characterize sediment environmental quality; fuzzy similarity and geo-accumulation Index were used to evaluate pollutant enrichment; correlation matrix, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis were used to identify source of pollution; environmental risk index and potential ecological risk index were used to assess ecological risk. The environmental qualities of sediment are classified to very low degree of contamination or low contamination. The similar order to element background of soil in the Liaohe plain is region of Sanjiaozhou, Honghaitan, Sandaogou, Xiaohe by pollutant enrichment analysis. The source identification indicates that correlations are significantly among metals except between copper and cadmium. Cadmium, lead, zinc, mercury, and arsenic will be clustered in the same clustering as the first principal component. Copper will be clustered as second principal component. The environmental risk assessment level will be scaled to no risk in the studied area. The order of potential ecological risk is As > Cd > Hg > Cu > Pb > Zn.

Keywords: ecological risk assessment, heavy metals, sediment, marsh, Shuangtai estuary

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Authors: S. Wakim, M. Nemer, B. Zeghondy, B. Ghannam, C. Bouallou

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Designing the optimal heat exchanger is still an essential objective to be achieved. Parametrical optimization involves the evaluation of the heat exchanger dimensions to find those that best satisfy certain objectives. This method contributes to an enhanced design rather than an optimized one. On the contrary, topology optimization finds the optimal structure that satisfies the design objectives. The huge development in metal additive manufacturing allowed topology optimization to find its way into engineering applications especially in the aerospace field to optimize metal structures. Using topology optimization in 3d heat and mass transfer problems requires huge computational time, therefore coupling it with CFD simulations can reduce this it. However, existed CFD models cannot be coupled with topology optimization. The CFD model must allow creating a uniform mesh despite the initial geometry complexity and also to swap the cells from fluid to solid and vice versa. In this paper, a porous media approach compatible with topology optimization criteria is developed. It consists of modeling the fluid region of the heat exchanger as porous media having high porosity and similarly the solid region is modeled as porous media having low porosity. The switching from fluid to solid cells required by topology optimization is simply done by changing each cell porosity using a user defined function. This model is tested on a plate and fin heat exchanger and validated by comparing its results to experimental data and simulations results. Furthermore, this model is used to perform a material reallocation based on local criteria to optimize a plate and fin heat exchanger under a constant heat duty constraint. The optimized fin uses 20% fewer materials than the first while the pressure drop is reduced by about 13%.

Keywords: computational methods, finite element method, heat exchanger, porous media, topology optimization

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Authors: Kaoutar Chbihi, Aziza Menouni, Emilie Hardy, Matteo Creta, Nathalie Grova, An Van Nieuwenhuyse, Lode Godderis, Samir El Jaafari, Radu-Corneliu Duca

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Industrial products and materials are often treated with additional compounds like brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and heavy metals in order to prevent their ignition, increase their functionality and improve their performance like electrical conductivity. Consequently, this could potentially expose children to harmful chemicals through indoor dust and through hand-to-mouth or toy-chewing behaviors. The aim of this study was to assess the exposure of Moroccan children aged 5-11 years to BFRs and heavy metal elements and investigate their impacts on the epigenetic profile, namely through global DNA methylation modifications. First, parents were asked to answer a questionnaire on children’s lifestyle, then blood and urine samples were collected from (n= 93) children, following the ethical guidelines, for biomonitoring and DNA methylation analysis, using a set of solid phase extraction (SPE), LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS and ICP/MS techniques. BFRs were detected in 54.84% of samples with a median concentration of 0.01 nmol/mL (range: 0.004-0.051 nmol/mL), while metal elements were detected in more than 90% of samples. No association was found between BFRs and global DNA methylation, unlike metal element levels that showed significant variations with global DNA methylation biomarkers, namely 5-mdC, 5-OH-mdC and N⁶-mA levels. To conclude, Moroccan children could be significantly exposed to flame retardant compounds and heavy metal elements through several routes, such as dust or equipment usage and are therefore susceptible to the adverse health effects that could be linked with such chemicals. Further research is required to assess the exposure to environmental pollutants among the Moroccan population in order to protect Moroccan health and prevent the incidence of diseases.

Keywords: biomonitoring, children, DNA methylation, epigenetics, flame retardants, heavy metals, Morocco

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Authors: Matthew Cruickshank, Chaaruchandra Korde, Roger P. West, John Reddy

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Precast concrete element exports are growing in importance in Ireland’s concrete industry and with the increased global focus on reducing carbon emissions, the industry is exploring more sustainable alternatives such as using ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) as a partial replacement of Portland cement. It is well established that GGBS, with low early age strength development, has limited use in precast manufacturing due to the need for early de-moulding, cutting of pre-stressed strands and lifting. In this dichotomy, the effects of temperature, admixture, are explored to try to achieve the required very early age strength. Testing of the strength of mortars is mandated in the European cement standard, so here with 50% GGBS and Super Fine GGBS, with three admixture conditions (none, conventional accelerator, novel accelerator) and two early age curing temperature conditions (20°C and 35°C), standard mortar strengths are measured at six ages (16 hours, 1, 2, 3, 7, 28 days). The present paper will describe the effort towards developing maturity curves to aid in understanding the effect of these accelerating admixtures and GGBS fineness on slag cement mortars, allowing prediction of their strength with time and temperature. This study is of particular importance to the precast industry where concrete temperature can be controlled. For the climatic conditions in Ireland, heating of precast beds for long hours will amount to an additional cost and also contribute to the carbon footprint of the products. When transitioned from mortar to concrete, these maturity curves are expected to play a vital role in predicting the strength of the GGBS concrete at a very early age prior to demoulding.

Keywords: accelerating admixture, early age strength, ground granulated blast-furnace slag, GGBS, maturity, precast concrete

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Authors: Omer Livvarcin, Mary Kay Park, Michael Miles

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The current literature includes a few studies that mention the impact of relations between teams, the business environment, and experiences from previous projects. There is, however, limited research that treats the phenomenon of project atmosphere (PA) as a whole. This is especially true of research identifying parameters and sub-parameters, which allow project management (PM) teams to build a project culture that ultimately imbues project success. This study’s findings identify a number of key project atmosphere parameters and sub-parameters that affect project management success. One key parameter identified in the study is a cluster related to cultural concurrence, including artifacts such as policies and mores, values, perceptions, and assumptions. A second cluster centers on motivational concurrence, including such elements as project goals and team-member expectations, moods, morale, motivation, and organizational support. A third parameter cluster relates to experiential concurrence, with a focus on project and organizational memory, previous internal PM experience, and external environmental PM history and experience). A final cluster of parameters is comprised of those falling in the area of relational concurrence, including inter/intragroup relationships, role conflicts, and trust. International and intercultural project management data was collected and analyzed from the following countries: Canada, China, Nigeria, South Korea and Turkey. The cross-cultural nature of the data set suggests increased confidence that the findings will be generalizable across cultures and thus applicable for future international project management success. The intent of the identification of project atmosphere as a critical project management element is that a clear understanding of the dynamics of its sub-parameters upon projects may significantly improve the odds of success of future international and intercultural projects.

Keywords: project management, project atmosphere, cultural concurrence, motivational concurrence, relational concurrence

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Authors: Iyd Eqqab Maree, Habil Jurgen Bast

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Vibration control of machines and structures incorporating viscoelastic materials in suitable arrangement is an important aspect of investigation. The use of viscoelastic layers constrained between elastic layers is known to be effective for damping of flexural vibrations of structures over a wide range of frequencies. The energy dissipated in these arrangements is due to shear deformation in the viscoelastic layers, which occurs due to flexural vibration of the structures. Multilayered cantilever sandwich beam like structures can be used in aircrafts and other applications such as robot arms for effective vibration control. These members may experience parametric instability when subjected to time dependant forces. The theory of dynamic stability of elastic systems deals with the study of vibrations induced by pulsating loads that are parametric with respect to certain forms of deformation. The purpose of the present work is to investigate the dynamic stability of a three layered symmetric sandwich beam (Drone Aircraft wings ) subjected to an end periodic axial force . Equations of motion are derived using finite element method (MATLAB software). It is observed that with increase in core thickness parameter fundamental buckling load increases. The fundamental resonant frequency and second mode frequency parameter also increase with increase in core thickness parameter. Fundamental loss factor and second mode loss factor also increase with increase in core thickness parameter. Increase in core thickness parameter enhances the stability of the beam. With increase in core loss factor also the stability of the beam enhances. There is a very good agreement of the experimental results with the theoretical findings.

Keywords: steel cantilever beam, viscoelastic material core, loss factor, transition region, MATLAB R2011a

Procedia PDF Downloads 447

Authors: Palak J. Shukla, Atul K. Desai, Chentankumar D. Modhera

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For any country in the world, it has become a priority to protect the critical infrastructure from looming risks of terrorism. In any infrastructure system, the structural elements like lower floors, exterior columns, walls etc. are key elements which are the most susceptible to damage due to blast load. The present study revisits the state of art review of the design and analysis of reinforced concrete panels subjected to blast loading. Various aspects in association with blast loading on structure, i.e. estimation of blast load, experimental works carried out previously, the numerical simulation tools, various material models, etc. are considered for exploring the current practices adopted worldwide. Discussion on various parametric studies to investigate the effect of reinforcement ratios, thickness of slab, different charge weight and standoff distance is also made. It was observed that for the simulation of blast load, CONWEP blast function or equivalent numerical equations were successfully employed by many researchers. The study of literature indicates that the researches were carried out using experimental works and numerical simulation using well known generalized finite element methods, i.e. LS-DYNA, ABAQUS, AUTODYN. Many researchers recommended to use concrete damage model to represent concrete and plastic kinematic material model to represent steel under action of blast loads for most of the numerical simulations. Most of the studies reveal that the increase reinforcement ratio, thickness of slab, standoff distance was resulted in better blast resistance performance of reinforced concrete panel. The study summarizes the various research results and appends the present state of knowledge for the structures exposed to blast loading.

Keywords: blast phenomenon, experimental methods, material models, numerical methods

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Authors: Ghada Esheba, Ebtisam Aljerayan, Afnan Al-Ghamdi, Atheer Alsharif, Hanan alzahrani

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Background: Primary ovarian neoplasms comprise a heterogeneous group of tumors of three main subtypes: surface epithelial, germ cell, and sex cord-stromal. The wide morphological variation within and between these groups can result in diagnostic difficulties. Gonadal sex cord-stromal tumors (SCST) represent one of the most heterogeneous categories of human neoplasms, because they may contain various combinations of different gonadal sex cord and stromal element. Aim: The aim of this work is to highlight the clinicopathological characteristics of SCST and to assess the value of alpha-inhibin and calretinin in the distinction between SCST and their mimics. Material and methods: This study was carried out on 100 cases using full tissue sections; 70 cases were SCST and 30 cases were histological mimics of SCST. The cases were studied using immunohistochemically using alpha-inhibin. In addition, an ovarian tissue microarray containing 170 benign and malignant ovarian neoplasms was also studied immunohistochemically for calretinin expression. The ovarian microarray included 14 SCST, 59 ovarian serous borderline tumors, 17 mucinous borderline tumors, 10 mucinous adenocarcinomas, 32 endometrioid adenocarcinomas, 34 clear cell carcinomas, and 4 germ cell tumors. Results: 99% of SCST examined using full tissue sections exhibited positive cytoplasmic staining for inhibin. On the contrary, only 7% of the histological mimics (P value < 0.0001). 86% of SCST in the tissue microarray were positive for calretinin with nuclear and/or cytoplasmic staining compared to only 7% of the other tumor types (P value < 0.0001). Conclusions: SCST have characteristic clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features and their recognition is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment. Alpha-inhibin and calretinin are of great help in the diagnosis of sex cord-stromal tumors.

Keywords: calretinin, granulosa cell tumor, inhibin, sex cord-stromal tumors

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Authors: Lama M. AlGhamdi

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This research addresses the critical issue of accessibility for individuals with special needs and the broader implications of disability on one's ability to lead an independent and integrated life within society. It highlights the consequences of injury, illness, or disability not only on the physical level but also on psychological, social, educational, economic, and functional aspects of life. The study emphasizes the importance of inclusive design in urban spaces, reflecting on how a society's treatment of individuals with disabilities serves as a measure of its progress. The research delves into the challenges faced by people with special needs in the Kingdom, where, despite advancements in various sectors, there is a noticeable lack of accommodating public opportunities for this significant demographic. It argues for the necessity of a Saudi building code that considers the needs of a diverse population during the design phase. The paper discusses the role of urban space as a fundamental element in urban formation and its impact on the societal integration of individuals with special needs. The study explores a variety of inclusive design principles, ranging from physical features like ramps and tactile paving to digital and cognitive accessibility measures such as screen readers, closed captions, plain language, and visual aids. It also considers the impact of wayfinding and appropriate lighting design on the orientation and assistance of individuals within urban spaces at the lowest cost. The researchers connect inclusive design with sustainable practices, advocating for environments that are not only environmentally friendly but also adaptable and lasting. The paper concludes with the assertion that the integration of accessibility, universal design, and sustainability signifies a society's commitment to inclusivity and the empowerment of all individuals, paving the way for a future where everyone can participate fully and independently in society.

Keywords: accessibility, inclusive design, Saudi building code, disability inclusion, socioeconomic progress

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Authors: Graham Hancox, Saydia Razak, Sue Hignett, Jo Barnes, Jyri Silmari, Florian Kading

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In the event of a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) incident rapidly gaining, situational awareness is of paramount importance and advanced technologies have an important role to play in improving detection, identification, monitoring (DIM) and patient tracking. Understanding how these advanced technologies can fit into current response systems is essential to ensure they are optimally designed, usable and meet end-users’ needs. For this reason, Human Factors (Ergonomics) methods have been used within an EU Horizon 2020 project (TOXI-Triage) to firstly describe (map) the hierarchical structure in a CBRN response with adapted Accident Map (AcciMap) methodology. Secondly, Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) has been used to describe and review the sequence of steps (sub-tasks) in a CBRN scenario response as a task system. HTA methodology was then used to map one advanced technology, ‘Tag and Trace’, which tags an element (people, sample and equipment) with a Near Field Communication (NFC) chip in the Hot Zone to allow tracing of (monitoring), for example casualty progress through the response. This HTA mapping of the Tag and Trace system showed how the provider envisaged the technology being used, allowing for review and fit with the current CBRN response systems. These methodologies have been found to be very effective in promoting and supporting a dialogue between end-users and technology providers. The Human Factors methods have given clear diagrammatic (visual) representations of how providers see their technology being used and how end users would actually use it in the field; allowing for a more user centered approach to the design process. For CBRN events usability is critical as sub-optimum design of technology could add to a responders’ workload in what is already a chaotic, ambiguous and safety critical environment.

Keywords: AcciMap, CBRN, ergonomics, hierarchical task analysis, human factors

Procedia PDF Downloads 186

Authors: Nida Iftikhar, Jamaluddin Thaheem, Bilal Iftikhar

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In the construction industry, adequate and effective decision-making can mean the difference between success and failure. Bidding is the most important element of the construction business since it is a mean by which contractors obtain work. This is probably the only option for any contractor firm to sustain in the market and achieve its objective of earning the profits by winning tenders. The capability to select most appropriate ventures not only defines the success and wellbeing of contractor firms but also their survival and sustainability in the industry. The construction practitioners are usually on their own when it comes to deciding on bidding for a project or not. Usually, experience-based solutions are offered where a lot of subjectivity is involved. This research has been opted considering the local construction industry of Pakistan in order to examine the critical success factors from contractors’ perspective while making bidding decisions, listing and evaluating critical factors in order of their importance, categorization of these factors into decision support & decision oppose groups and to develop a framework to help contractors in the decision-making process. Literature review, questionnaires, and structured interviews are used for identification and quantification of factors affecting bid/no bid decision-making. Statistical methods of ranking analysis and analytical hierarchy process of multi-criteria decision-making method are used for analysis. It is found that profitability, need for work and financial health of client are the most decisive factors in bid/no bid decision-making while project size, project type, fulfilling the tender conditions imposed by the client and relationship, identity & reputation of the client are least impact factors in bid/no bid decision-making. Further, to verify the developed framework, case studies have been conducted to evaluate the bid/no bid decision-making in building procurement. This is the first of its nature study in the context of the local construction industry and recommends using a holistic decision-making framework for such business-critical deliberations.

Keywords: bidding, bid decision-making, construction procurement, contractor

Procedia PDF Downloads 156