bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
BoatNet: Automated Small Boat Composition Detection using Deep Learning on Satellite Imagery
Authors: Jialeng Guo , Suarez de la Fuente Santiago , Smith Tristan
Published: January 2023

Tracking and measuring national carbon footprints is one of the keys to achieving the ambitious goals set by countries. According to statistics, more than 10% of global transportation carbon emissions result from shipping. However, accurate tracking of the emissions of the small boat segment is not well established. Past research has begun to look into the role played by small boat fleets in terms of Greenhouse Gases (GHG), but this either relies on high-level technological and operational assumptions or the installation of Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) sensors to understand how this vessel class behaves. This research is undertaken mainly in relation to fishing and recreational boats. With the advent of open-access satellite imagery and its ever-increasing resolution, it can support innovative methodologies that could eventually lead to the quantification of GHG emissions. This work used deep learning algorithms to detect small boats in three cities in the Gulf of California in Mexico. The work produced a methodology named BoatNet that can detect, measure and classify small boats with leisure boats and fishing boats even under low-resolution and blurry satellite images, achieving an accuracy of 93.9% with a precision of 74.0%. Future work should focus on attributing a boat activity to fuel consumption and operational profile to estimate small boat GHG emissions in any given region. The data curated and produced in this study is freely available at https://github.com/theiresearch/BoatNet.
¿Por qué la conservación es necesaria?
Authors: Prieto Lucas
Published: January 2023

La dependencia necesaria de la criatura respecto de Dios ha sido una posición común dentro del teísmo clásico. En los últimos años, sin embargo, se ha contestado dicha posición desde la hipótesis de la inercia existencial. Según esta última teoría, no haría falta recurrir a una causa trascendente para explicar la permanencia en el ser de las cosas. Tomás de Aquino, por el contrario, desde la constatación de una composición en todo ente finito, postula el recurso necesario a algo simple que dé razón de ella.
ECO EARTH SANDWICH CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM COST COMPARISON WITH CONFINED MASONRY, RAMMED EARTH, AND DRYWALL
Authors: VILLACIS ENRIQUE VINICIO , SALAZAR ALEJANDRO , Ayarza Cynthia Catalina , OVIEDO ANAHI
Published: January 2023

Cost and environmental efficiency are high priority facts when developing a project for communities and clients in general, one way to have cost and environmental efficient construction systems, is by using local resources, materials, and manpower. The Con Lo Que Hay – With what is available 14 (CLQH 14) workshop, developed the eco earth sandwich system in a small suburban community center, in the Ecuadorian Andes, which uses local resources and manpower to lower cost production. The use of local resources also reduces the environmental impact, however, in this study we will focus on the evaluation of the cost efficiency of this alternative construction system with industrial drywall on metal studs, semi-industrial masonry with CMU block and mortar, and handcraft developed rammed earth with the option of hired manpower and with community labor. This comparison is developed to encourage local semi-industrial construction and demonstrate that it has cost efficiency advantages.
HERITAGE PRESERVATION TO ENHANCE TOURISM OFFERS
Authors: MAZZETTO SILVIA
Published: January 2023

Saudi Arabia has recently launched many promoting campaigns to pioneer a global excellence model for future growth. The Saudi National Vision 2030 sustains a national quality services improvement based on the commitment of the governmental institutions to build up a prosperous country, starting from the valorization of local traditions. The Saudi heritage was built by ancient societies based on traditions deeply rooted in the country's history. The country aspires to preserve heritage sites and the local environment, to strengthen national identity and Arab values by promoting hospitality services for tourism. In the last years, the Muslim pilgrims and all visitors to heritage sites entering the country from abroad have reached 8 million people by tripling the numbers. The government has started many initiatives and promoted many urban planning processes, programs, and projects to enhance the touristic offer. The intent is to reach a sustainable approach to target the healthy growth of the country and the Saudi Arabian cities. The paper presents some interventions that are currently under development to achieve the Saudi Vision 2030, such as the recent expansions of the Holy Mosques, the modernization of the national airports, and the Makkah Metro project to complement the railroad and train public transportation offer.
STRATEGY FOR THE PREPARATION OF CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY DATABASE
Authors: Soemardi Biemo W , Putri Andira Triana , Haryadi Husnulzaki Wibisono
Published: January 2023

Construction industry is notorious for its complexity as it involves diverse stakeholders from various levels of business sectors, which oftentimes creates environments where industrial-level data processing and collaboration are restrained by the conflicting interests among them. As such had become an important issue as data processing serves as an important aspect for managing and monitoring the industry’s performance, as well as providing projections for future growth strategy. Technology is one of the key factors for industrial progress. Despite potential benefits, having the right implementation strategy in place has become an unavoidable necessity, as it can also contain threats that were not previously understood. This work aims to evaluate the strategy of Indonesian construction technology database preparation. The nature of the industry and the availability of data, whose access is limited by the interest of various parties, are some of the considerations used in formulating the database preparation strategy. The study evaluates the strategy of preparing a structured database through available open access data, namely the contractor’s annual report from a public company. The strategy used in this study has transformed unstructured data into a structured database using Python program and Named Entity Recognition (NER). Based on this research, database strategy preparation using NER is considered quite effective and can be further developed by the implementation of custom NER which can specifically detect construction technology. The strategy developed by the research is the first step for constructing a construction technology database and can be used for similar data environments.
USING KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT LITERATURE
Authors: KUNKCU HANDAN , KOC KERIM , DAGOU HOULJAKBE HOULTEURBE , GURGUN ASLI PELIN
Published: January 2023

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are one of the prominent concepts used for performance measurement, which is an integral part of project management. KPIs are widely and effectively used to monitor, measure, and evaluate the performance and production of project management team in the construction industry. It is therefore necessary for construction projects to complete the project in the budget, time, quality, safety, and satisfaction specified in the contract. This paper provides a review to explore KPIs used in construction project management to measure the performance of construction projects. A comprehensive review was performed to compile KPIs proposed by relevant studies from the Scopus database. Based on the comprehensive literature review, performance of cost, time/schedule and quality, client satisfaction, and effective communication were identified as the most important KPIs in the construction project management domain. Overall, this study presents insights into KPIs and can give an idea to identify trends of KPIs, which is of great importance for the construction project management in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and quality.
ON THE JOURNEY TO BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY, BIM AND THE BEE IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR
Authors: Okangba Stanley , Khatleli Nthatisi , Root David
Published: January 2023

The study appraises the features in the South African construction projects supply chain that are amenable to blockchain technology. An integrative review of purposively sampled extant literature from multidisciplinary databases: Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Sage, Taylor and Francis, and Emerald Insight were adopted. Descriptors for literature search are “integrative review”, “black economic empowerment”, “building information modelling”, and “blockchain technology application in the South African construction sector”. The study is in a bid to determine the South African story regarding the adaptability of her infrastructure supply chain using blockchain technology. The study establishes the need for a paradigm shift where figments of science have become reality, and technology synthesis is the main driver. Thus, guaranteeing that technology preference is ideal and to the benefit of everyone. Results show that South Africa is willing to try new technologies including blockchain technology however; there is need for the human workforce and stakeholders within the construction sector to be trained to attain technical and personal skills capabilities. The study proposes the need to integrate blockchain technology concepts into the current education system, especially in developing countries.
THE ANTECEDENTS OF INTENTION TO SETTLE IN CONSTRUCTION DISPUTE NEGOTIATION
Authors: LIN Sen , CHEUNG Sai On
Published: January 2023

Negotiation can be an art, given the paradox of preserving one’s profits and maintaining a relationship with the counterpart. Negotiation is the most recommended dispute resolution method in construction projects due to its cost and time efficiency. It is not uncommon to find that some negotiations achieve an amicable outcome but far less tractable in others. Intention to settle has been proved indispensable for a fruitful negotiation. The chance of reaching a settlement is doomed if one or both parties have no such intention. However, it is quite complicated to explain what causes or impedes negotiators’ settlement intention. In this regard, this study aims to explore the antecedents of intention to settle (ITS) in the context of construction dispute negotiation (CDN). From the perspective of the intrapersonal level and inter-organizational level, four antecedents were summarized. More specifically, prosocial motive and perceived justice are incentivizers of intention to settle, while proself motive and perceived relative power are dis-incentivizers. An in-depth knowledge of these antecedents can provide the necessary groundwork for a more effective CDN.
OPTIMIZING COMMUNICATION FLOWS USING A STANDARD BIM ORIENTED RACI MATRIX
Authors: Farnetti Bianca , Trani Marco Lorenzo , Minotti Natale Massimo
Published: January 2023

The AEC industry has witnessed a growth in complexity during design and construction phase driven by clients’ increasing expectations related to technology applications (i.e., BIM), quality delivered, time to execution and cost effectiveness. Hence, leveraging on productivity improvement techniques and organizational behavior models is becoming crucial to more efficiently co-ordinate heterogeneous stakeholders and designers. Previous research has recognized the importance of structured management solutions such as the RACI matrix (a particular type of RAM) as an enabler for efficient communication flows and prompt assignment of roles and responsibilities. However, rarely has been outlined the importance of having a standard RACI framework to be then integrated with specific add-ons in line with the characteristics of the project in scope. These include a Common Data Environment within BIM for data collection enabling a cross information approach between different design disciplines and stakeholders’ information requirements. The paper therefore proposes a method to integrate the above-mentioned RACI standard framework for project management with project-specific add-ons and illustrates the main advantages obtained. These were empirically obtained through ad hoc AEC industry surveys and validated by qualitative impact analyses on renovation projects chosen for their high degree of complexity. Results suggest that the application of the above-mentioned standard framework drives more efficient communication flows and effectively assigns roles and responsibilities, ultimately improving time to execution and cost effectiveness.
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS MENTAL HEALTH: AN ISSUE OF CONCERN
Authors: ONI OLATOYESE ZACCHEUS , OLANREWAJU ABDULLATEEF ASHOLA , KHOR SOO CHEEN , AKINBILE BOLATITO FOLASADE
Published: January 2023

Owing to the complexity of the work and the workplace setting, the construction industry has been identified as one of the worst for poor mental health. As poor mental wellbeing has an impact on people, organizations, as well as societies, it is crucial to guarantee that construction personnel maintain proper mental wellbeing. This study aims to assess the sorts of mental health problems that Nigerian construction workers experience. To gather primary data, a survey form was designed and distributed electronically to build environment specialists participating in construction works. The results of the survey were then analyzed using a social science statistical software (SPSS v26.0). The findings suggest that construction workers face a variety of mental health challenges, with fatigue, feeling overwhelmed, sleeping too much or too little, stress, and having little or no energy topping the list. The study indicates that mental health difficulties on construction sites are a severe problem that need immediate action. As a result, the study suggests that construction workers receive regular training on mental health and its symptoms.
ACCIDENTS AT CONSTRUCTION SITES AND NEAR-MISSES: A CONSTANT PROBLEM
Authors: ONI OLATOYESE ZACCHEUS , OLANREWAJU ABDULLATEEF ASHOLA , KHOR SOO CHEEN
Published: January 2023

Despite its important role in socioeconomic growth, the construction industry has an unacceptably high rate of accidents when compared to other industries. On Malaysian construction projects, overtime accidents have been a big problem. Despite the government's efforts to mitigate this threat, reports suggest an increase in the incidence of accidents on building sites. As a result, the goal of this research is to determine the fundamental causes of construction site accidents and near-misses. A survey was created and distributed to construction site experts in order to achieve this goal. The analysis revealed that worker ignorance of safe work procedures, insufficient provision of safety warnings/signs, working under the influence of drugs/alcohol, working with defective equipment, and insufficient working platforms were the leading roots of accidents on building sites. The study concludes that accidents do not just happen on construction sites but happen as a result of numerous causes. Hence, to reduce the menace of incessant accidents, there is a need to address these causes before and during construction works. The study recommends that before the commencement of any construction work, a comprehensive accident causation analysis must be carried out.
AN INTERNATIONAL MULTI-SITE COURSE FOR CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING STUDENTS
Authors: Ozbek Mehmet E. , Gurgun Asli Pelin , Koc Kerim
Published: January 2023

In Spring 2022, faculty from the Colorado State University (CSU), USA and Yildiz Technical University (YTU), Turkey collaborated to develop and offer an experimental graduate level course aimed at teaching multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods to construction and engineering students from both institutions. This course was developed as a result of the international partnership, specifically between the Department of Construction Management at CSU and the Civil Engineering Department at YTU. This course was delivered synchronously to both CSU and YTU students by faculty from both programs. CSU students and the faculty attended the class in an in-person classroom setting and connected to the online virtual meeting environment as a whole class; and YTU students and faculty connected to the online virtual meeting environment individually. Notwithstanding the difference in modalities, both groups of students got a chance to interact within and across sites. In its pilot offering, the course met with significant success and challenges alike. The purpose of this paper is to present this course as a case study to examine successful strategies and barriers to implementing international multi-site classes (hybrid teaching environments). By documenting this course as a case study, this research provides a model for the development of further and similar courses and encourages future efforts to integrate international multi-site classes into construction and engineering education.
IMPLEMENTATION OF CONNECTED AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES ON ROAD NETWORKS: ALIGNED INFRASTRUCTURE LEGISLATION
Authors: Whyte Andrew CPEng , Colic Philip CPEng
Published: January 2023

Strategies for implementing connected autonomous-vehicles, require focusing on respective road-infrastructure impact and, incorporation into future transport-planning. To this end, an analysis was conducted of (semi-structured interviews with 9) experts from road/traffic-engineering and public-works-departments (PWDs), charged to trial local initiatives. Legislation being introduced or amended in North America and Europe towards best-practice applications sought to determine the particular national strategies by those currently implementing the use of AVs. Analysis in Australia determined that there are 716 legislative barriers currently blocking the legal use of AVs. In particular, this study of respective uptake barriers found obstacles of legal significance directly relevant to civil engineering practitioners; namely, Australian Road Rules 126 and 127 which prohibit connected autonomous vehicles from platooning – reducing the spacing between vehicles. Overseas, a recognition of platooning is inherent; the benefits of platooning include fuel savings, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and labor savings for freight vehicles. This research determined that the isolated-north of Western Australia (WA) is a suitable place to begin innovative legislation reviews towards platooning due to the current prevalence of, and applicability to, heavy vehicles in the local mining industry. This research project developed a guidance tool for practitioners and stakeholders to implement successful platooning. The flowchart guidance tool here provides the first step for Main-Roads-PWD to adopt (the benefits of AV) platooning for connected autonomous vehicles across selected WA road networks and presents guidance for application more widely for general autonomous vehicle uptake.
NONLINEAR FIELD RESPONSE OF PILES UNDER HORIZONTAL HARMONIC EXCITATIONS
Authors: Choudhary Shiva Shankar , Biswas Sanjit
Published: January 2023

Harmonic excitation of pile foundation is a typical dynamic phenomenon occur during machine vibration. In many cases, it has been found that the horizontal excitations are the critical ones which governs the design for machine-based pile foundations. In order to comprehend the horizontal frequency-amplitude responses of pile foundation under various harmonic excitation forces, forced vibration tests on several sets of small-scale single and pile groups have been carried out. According to the test results, there are two resonant peaks within the operational frequency range shown by the dynamic frequency-amplitude responses, where the first peak is found to be more dominant as compared to the second peak. Additionally, as resonant frequencies are lowered and resonant amplitudes grow for an increase in excitation forces, the response curves demonstrate the nonlinear patterns of pile groups. The basic dynamic characteristics of all soil-pile setups are found to be similar to each other. As the group's pile count increases, the resonant frequency values increase while the resonant amplitude values decrease, increasing the dynamic stiffness of the soil-pile systems. The resonant amplitude for the first peak of 2х2, 2х3, and 3х3-pile groups are found to be approximately 13%, 36% and 79% lower, respectively, as contrasted with the single pile under the same dynamic load.
HOW TO MODEL GRANULAR SOILS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE
Authors: Alipour Eskandani Amirali , Esgandani Golnaz Alipour , Vahab Mohammad
Published: January 2023

Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) is a powerful method to simulate macro and micromechanical features of granular soils and is commonly used for modelling the changes in pore water pressure and particle breakage under high pressures. Breakage of particles can significantly affect the behavior of soils by changing the shear strength, internal friction angle, anisotropic parameters and pore water pressure. Also, it is observed that the particle breakage can be different under drained versus undrained conditions. This paper provides a review about various techniques in DEM for modeling the behavior of granular soils under high pressure. Apart from explaining the basic concept of each technique, the advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed. Recommendations are provided as to which approach needs to be taken for different applications. Factors such as particle shape and size distribution, level of accuracy, simulation time and computational costs need to be considered before choosing an appropriate numerical approach.
AN IOT PROTOTYPE TO COLLECT TRANSVERSE VEHICLE POSITION DATA FOR LOCAL ROADS
Authors: Li Y. , Adams-Cook E. , Aspin J. , van der Walt J.D. , Scheepbouwer E. , Patel T.
Published: January 2023

In New Zealand, most roads are chip-sealed over granular base pavements, which rely on the Transverse Variable Application Spray Bar (TVAS) during the resealing process. TVAS sprays a lower application rate of bitumen in the wheel path areas to limit flushing and uses a higher application rate outside of wheel path areas to limit raveling. Currently, this is carried out by visually identifying the wheel paths where flushing and raveling exist. This manual process is prone to human bias. Ideally, pavement resealing needs to be done before visible signs of distress appear. This study aims to automate obtaining lateral wheel path distribution (LWD) using an Internet of Things (IoT) prototype. This prototype is based on the Arduino platform, which was used to collect wheel placement distributions from vehicles on several sites in Christchurch, New Zealand. Results show that narrow roads exhibit a concentrated wheel path distribution. Additionally, vehicles tend to drive further away from the solid white shoulder line and closer together when parked cars are present. The results can be incorporated into the calibration of the TVAS and pavement design for improved construction and maintenance efficiency.
A REVIEW OF A SUBORDINATE FIRE SAFETY LAW: IS IT LEGAL?
Authors: van der Pump Christian , Scheepbower Eric
Published: January 2023

In Australia and the UK, problems within the fire safety market have resulted in both the Executive and private sector carrying out their own investigations; by the Executive: Shergold Weir Report (Australia), and the Hackitt Report (UK); and, by the private sector: the Warren Centre’s (Australia) fire review program. Because of the findings, some fire safety laws have been changed, by the Executive. New Zealand’s fire safety laws, particularly those below that of the Building Act (i.e., subordinate laws), have also undergone significant change since 2012, again, made by the Executive and have not gone without debate. Some changes, such as compulsory design procedures in a verification method, have caused notable discontent. In response, the New Zealand government funded fire review programs to investigate these issues. This paper looks at how the Judiciary has the power to rule over any law changes made by the Executive under judicial review circumstances in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand (“Westminster countries”), using the compulsory design procedure within a verification method as an example. When analyzing this change against the statutory Acts and Westminster judicial doctrines that the Judiciary must rule within, it is concluded that this design procedure is inconsistent with the New Zealand Building Act and therefore illegal, that there are strong grounds for judicial review, and using judicial review principles to analyze construction laws during the bidding, design, and construction process is recommended when working in Westminster countries.
POST-FIRE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SM570 HIGH-STRENGTH STEEL
Authors: Chen Cheng-Chih , Huang Xin-Ye , Lin Ker-Chun , Chen Po-Tuan
Published: January 2023

An experimental study was performed to explore the mechanical properties of high-strength SM570 steel after fire. Test coupons were exposed to elevated temperatures varying from 200°C to 1000°C in the increments of 100°C. After that, the test coupons were cooled to room temperature with water or in air. Tension test and Leeb hardness test were performed to determine mechanical properties and hardness of the coupons after fire. The test results showed that the elastic modulus of the coupons cooled in air after heating were only slightly affected by the heating temperature. The mechanical properties of the coupons heated under 600°C were insignificantly changed for both cooling methods. When the coupons were heated above 700°C, the elevated temperature and cooling method greatly affected the mechanical properties of the high-strength SM570 steel after fire. Leeb hardness test revealed that the reduction factors of Leeb hardness were quite the same as those of the tensile strength when the coupons were heated at elevated temperatures and then cooled in air.
EXPLORING CRUSHED CONCRETE WASTE AS RECYCLED FINE AGGREGATE IN CONCRETE PRODUCTION
Authors: Muleya Franco , Tembo Chipozya Kosta , Kaunda Chanda , Ngoma Gilson
Published: January 2023

Concrete waste is generally a challenge that is left to accumulate in illegal dumping areas and landfills. This research focused on how structural concrete waste could be crushed and used as recycled fine aggregate in the production of concrete. Experiments were carried out to establish the performance of this 0.6 water-cement ratio concrete containing partially recycled fine aggregate. Concrete fluidity and compressive strength tests were carried out at 7 days and 28 days only because the study was exploratory in nature. Results indicated that replacement of 20% natural fine aggregate with recycled fine aggregate resulted in the increase of concrete compressive strength by 8% from 28 MPa to 30 MPa at 28 days. 40% replacement of natural fine aggregate resulted in a drop of compressive strength by 11% yet retaining compressive strength at 25 MPa. 20% and 40% replacement of natural aggregate resulted in the concrete fluidity reduction of 5% and 17%, respectively. The average theoretical density was 2538 kg/m3. The study concluded that normal grade structural concrete can be attained using crushed concrete waste resulting in taking out the concrete waste from landfills and illegal dumping sites. These results established an environmentally friendly mode of handling concrete waste sustainably. Further, this solution would result in slowing down the depletion of natural fine aggregate bodies.
EFFECTS OF BAMBOO CELLULOSE MICRO-FIBERS ON MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND POROSITY OF CEMENT MORTAR
Authors: Supit Steve , Peropah Ridho , Wallah Steenie , Saroinsong Tinneke
Published: January 2023

This study presents the effect of utilizing cellulose microfibers obtained through extraction from bamboo as reinforcement on mortar mixtures. The mixture proportions used in this experiment are 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% of bamboo cellulose fiber by weight of cement as additional material in mortar mixture. It was found that the optimum compressive strength of 36.4 MPa was achieved by the sample with 1.5% of bamboo cellulose fiber as additional material with water to binder ratio of 0.5. A similar trend was also found in the result of flexural strength of mortar due to bamboo cellulose fiber addition, reaching the value of 6.31 MPa on the 28th day, which is 52% higher than the flexural strength of control mortar. From the porosity results, the percentage of mortar porosity containing micro-fibers ranged from 4.6-9.1%, lower than the porosity of control mortar, indicating that the addition of fibers led to fill in the pores, resulting in a denser cement matrix. The performances of the cellulose fiber contributed to the strength development and porosity resistance of mortar even with low volume fraction, making it a potential to be used as material building construction, for instance, masonry mortar, repair mortar, rendering mortar, joint filler, waterproof mortar, decorative mortar and for precast elements in construction. The research findings also provide new perspective on the utilization of natural cellulose fibers as a sustainable construction material.
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR LARGE HYDROCARBON PROJECTS
Authors: Singh Pawan Kumar , Saxena Deepak Kumar , Kakade Vijay Bajirao
Published: January 2023

According to World Energy Outlook 2020, investment of near about USD 1.2 Trillion is required every year to meet global energy demand for the period of 2020-30. Out of this, substantial portion of investment is expected in the hydrocarbon industry. Like many other industries, hydrocarbon industry is hit hard by Covid-19 pandemic with decrease in demand though recovery in demand picked up gradually from the latter half of year 2021. Timely execution of Large Hydrocarbon (LHC) projects within budgeted estimates is necessary to keep the faith of investors in this sector and to attract further investment. The LHC projects are more complex in nature due to various stakeholders' involvement, which may typically involve process technology licensors, owners, project management consultants, contractors, government agencies etc. The purpose of this study is to find out the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for LHC projects. The study commenced with comprehensive literature review for identification of reported CSFs for various industries. Thereafter, data collected from expert interviews and questionnaire survey are analyzed to find out CSFs for LHC projects. The study provides a list of CSFs which may be referred as guiding tool by industry practitioners and may help in reducing the schedule and cost overruns.
DAMAGE EVALUATION ON STEEL MEMBERS SUBJECTED TO SEISMIC RESPONSE USING THERMOELECTRIC DEVICES WITH FREQUENCY DEPENDENCY
Authors: Sakiyama Natsuhiko , Fujie Riku , Kono Seine , Mori Kenjiro , Ito Takumi
Published: January 2023

After the earthquake events, building damage assessment is detected by experts. However, in fact, it takes a long time to conduct the assessment process during field survey. Also, it is worried about ensuring the safety of the surveys. In recent years, structural health monitoring has been attempted. This paper suggests a damage evaluation method based on temperature measurement using thermoelectric devices. The cyclic loading tests were conducted as parameters with the loading amplitude; three types of constant amplitude, and three types of variable amplitude with gradual decrease, gradual increase, and random amplitude, totaling six types of dynamic cyclic bending. As a result of applying the damage evaluation method to the loading test, it was confirmed that the cumulative damage calculated from the temperature measurement and the cumulative damage calculated from the input displacement were almost equal. In addition, seismic response analysis was conducted using an analytical model of a four-story building, and the effectiveness of the measurement method using thermoelectric devices was examined. The results of seismic response analysis shows that the natural frequency of the primary mode of the displacement response was lower than 4Hz, and the results of the sweep loading test confirmed that the thermoelectric devices captured the waveform of the temperature up to 4Hz.
DAMAGE EVALUATION METHOD OF STEEL DAMPERS SUBJECTED TO SEISMIC RESPONSE BEHAVIOR BY USING MICROCOMPUTER
Authors: Fujie Riku , Sakiyama Natsuhiko , Kono Seine , Ito Takumi , Mori Kenjiro
Published: January 2023

After the severe seismic disaster, to investigate the damage states of buildings, the experts go to the disaster area, however, they encounter some difficulties. To solve the above problems, this study suggests a damage evaluation system for steel structures, which adopts the concept of Internet of Things (IoT). This system makes it possible for us to hold on damage of a building without going there after an earthquake. It has been recognized that the temperature change occurs on steel materials during inelastic behavior. In other study, the effectiveness of the damage evaluation method was confirmed by using the heat generation of steel at unsteady plastic amplitude. Here, the experimental study and discuss is performed to investigate the effectivity of evaluation method with the history of voltage by thermoelectric devices measured by a microcomputer when subjected to seismic response behavior. The cumulative plastic strain can be estimated from the relationship between temperature and strain of steel using the inverse heat conduction analysis. By dividing the cumulative plastic strain into half cycles, the strain amplitude per half cycle can be estimated, and the degree of damage can be calculated from the strain amplitude. By conducting the above analysis, we could predict damage level of the steel from the history of voltage by thermoelectric devices under the seismic response behavior. In addition, it was also shown that the microcomputer can be used to track the temperature rise of plastic heating in steel.
RISK ASSESSMENT FOR STRUCTURAL STEEL CORROSION IN OIL AND GAS FACILITIES
Authors: MOHAMED YUSUF SAIFUL IMRAN , AHMAD FAIZUL MUHAMMAD FAKHRUR RAZI , ABDULLAH PEDRAM HATAMI , MOHD FAUZI MOHD HAFIZ , M NOOR NED AZRAAI , AHAMAD KAMAL SOFIAH , KANG LUNG TING
Published: January 2023

Steel structure corrosion management is important to ensure the integrity of the assets are not compromised to prevent unnecessary disruption to the operation of oil and gas facilities due to structural failure which can cause significant loss of production. In this paper, with the objective to enhance the cost and time effectiveness, a risk-based approach is being used as means to prioritize and plan for effective inspection, maintenance and repair program to minimize the risk of failure of an asset in oil and gas facilities and optimize resources. Factors contributing to corrosion in oil and gas facilities have been considered in the risk assessment. The outcome of the risk assessment is obtained through careful evaluation of appropriate hazard criteria. From the risk assessment, mitigation program can be developed and implemented effectively. Furthermore, this paper has also recommended improvements and enhancements to the risk assessment which is suitable for application in oil and gas facilities.
A NOVEL APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MITIGATION DURING CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF A WIND FARM
Authors: golestani nima , Arzaghi Ehsan , Abbassi Rouzbeh , Graniya Vikram
Published: January 2023

Offshore structures and operations significantly impact the surrounding environment, and future offshore renewable energy developments are no exception. Many Australian offshore oil and gas platforms have the potential to act as artificial reefs, creating an excellent opportunity for the growth of marine communities that are often in danger due to other human activities or environmental impacts. Decommissioning of these platforms will impose substantial risks to the existing ecosystem in those habitats. Therefore, there is a need to understand the environmental impacts of installation, operation, and maintenance (O and M) and decommissioning activities in new offshore renewable energy infrastructure prior to developments. This becomes more important in the case of future offshore wind farm development in Australia, where no historical information is available. This paper proposes a game-theoretical approach to identifying the optimum risk mitigation strategies for minimizing the environmental impact of future offshore wind infrastructure and operations. As a case study, the method is applied to examine the risks imposed by constructing and installing an offshore wind farm in the Bass Strait. The governments and regulators can adopt the proposed mitigation strategies to develop policies and legislation to ensure the sustainability of marine environments.
AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON HORIZONTAL RESISTANT MECHANISM OF SANDWICHED PANEL STRUCTURE OF INSERTED METHOD
Authors: MORI Akihiro , KATAOKA Haruka , YAMASHITA Ryouga , UOZUMI Akihiko , ITO Takumi , MORI Kenjiro
Published: January 2023

Recently, in Japan, there are some discussions to promote the use of timber resource in the field of architectural buildings. For examples, some latest mid-rise buildings are constructed using wooden material, such as the facilities of Tokyo Olympic 2020. We can experiment the dairy life and architectural space with timber materials, which often has attracted attention. In Japan, the demand of low-rise prefabricated steel building is recently increasing. However, to satisfy the seismic resistant performance of building, they are required to have lots of seismic resistant wall which restrict layout of wall and opening. The object of this study is to develop low-rise prefabricated steel building with high seismic resistance performance using hybrid structural system using wooden materials. We suggest the method of sandwich panel structures, which steel column is sandwiched by structural plywood connected by bolt joints. To improve productivity and seismic resistance, this paper suggests the construction process using inserted wall sliding construction method. To clarify the resistant mechanism and structural performance, a horizontal loading test is conducted. From the results, the resistant mechanism in the diagonal direction is appeared; it means that the effective resistant system can be obtained. Also, the composite effect of steel and plywood is presented to give the high strength and rigidity. From the observation of test results, the analysis model is assumed. And also, it is confirmed that the proposed model can evaluate the strength of test results.
STUDY ON DETECTION OF THIN WATER FILM ON STEEL SURFACE USING A HYPERSPECTRAL CAMERA
Authors: Inoue Ryuichi , Hasuike Rina , Furuki Hirokazu , Aso Toshihiko
Published: January 2023

Steel corrosion is caused by the presence of water. Therefore, it is important to identify the areas where water is supplied, which will lead to efficient corrosion prevention and repair. Previous studies have proposed methods for detecting water on steel, but these studies used attach-type or contact-type measurement devices, making it impossible to detect water in inaccessible locations. The objective of this study is to detect a thin water film on corroded steel using a hyperspectral camera that can acquire visible and near-infrared spectra in a non-contact manner. First, the spectral characteristics of the thin water film detected by the HSC is confirmed by measuring the spectra of water in a petri dish at varying depths. Subsequently, the spectra of corroded steel specimens in dry and wet conditions were measured. As the results, it is indicated that water on steel could be detected by examining the spectra at wavelengths of 435 and 960 nm.
STUDY ON DETERIORATION OF THERMAL SPRAYED ALUMINUM COATING BY BRIDGE SURVEY
Authors: Kuwana Hiroaki , Takagi Kazuo , Hasuike Rina , Aso Toshihiko
Published: January 2023

Since aluminum spraying has excellent corrosion resistance, it has been applied to many steel bridges in Japan since 2000s. However, in recent years, partial degradation has been observed in steel bridges with the thermal sprayed aluminum coating. This study aims to clarify the degradation mechanism of thermal sprayed aluminum coating. This study investigates thermal sprayed aluminum coating on-site on a steel plate girder bridge. In the bridge (constructed 17 years ago at estuary) investigation, the aluminum coating is generally in good condition, but the partial degradation is concentrated inside of the girder where the corrosion environment is severe. It was also confirmed that there were many corroded parts in the lower flange weld zone. Partial degradation occurs evenly throughout the bridge, but there is a tendency for more degradation to occur on the piers, where the corrosive environment is considered to be the most severe. A large amount of salinity was detected in the results of the attached salt content measurement near the corroded parts, and it is presumed that the salt content is a major factor in promoting the deterioration of the thermal sprayed aluminum coating.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF RC BEAM-COLUMN JOINT RETROFITTED BY BFRP GRID WITH HIGH STRENGTH MORTAR
Authors: Lim chhoung , Jeong Yeongseok , Kwon Minho
Published: January 2023

The reinforced concrete (RC) beam-column joint is a critical member of the building. Its failure can make the structure collapse abruptly. The failure of joints mostly occurred in the structure built before the 1970s because of poor design and inadequate reinforcement detailing. To date, numerous research has been conducted to enhance the performance of the joint in terms of failure mode, strength, and ductility by externally retrofitting using bonded fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) technique. Nonetheless, using bonded FRP technique encounters some drawbacks such as debonding and inadequate performance under moist and flammable environments. To overcome this, epoxy is replaced by a cementitious matrix. In this study, a RC beam-column joint is fabricated in 2/3 scale following an existing structure. The specimen is retrofitted using Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) grid with the combination of the cementitious matrix using high strength mortar. The dimension of the retrofitted specimen is intentionally kept the same by taking out the concrete cover where the cementitious matrix is employed. As the result, the overall performance of the specimen is improved. The specimen becomes stronger and can withstand longer applied displacement before it collapsed.
Hilton–Milner results in projective and affine spaces
Authors: D’haeseleer Jozefien
Published: January 2023

In this article, we analyse maximal sets of k-spaces, in PG(n, q) and AG(n, q) with n ≥ 2k + t + 3, that pairwise meet in at least a t-space. It is known that for both PG(n, q) and AG(n, q), the largest example is a t-pencil, i.e. the set of all k-spaces containing a fixed t-space. In this paper, we analyse the structure of the second largest maximal example in both PG(n, q) and AG(n, q).
Aristotelian Motives in Middle Platonic Theology. Aristotelian Threads and Categories in the Theory of God in Alcinous’ Didaskalikos
Authors: Pawłowski Kazimierz
Published: January 2023

The paper deals with the issue of some Aristotelian motives and categories in the Didaskalikos of Alcinous, one of the most important works of Middle Platonism. They are particularly evident in the chapters in which Alcinous discusses issues related to Platonic theology and theory of Ideas. A special place here is the motif of God as Intellect who thinks of Ideas (of absolute Forms, in the Platonic sense) and at the same time thinks of Himself (in the Aristotelian sense). In connection with these Aristotelian motives, the question arises: do these motives have a substantive significance here, that is, do they really express Aristotle’s metaphysical views, or are they only a literary framework, in which the Platonic content is clothed?
Assessing vitamin D metabolism – four decades of experience
Authors: Herrmann Markus
Published: January 2023

One hundred years ago, the role of vitamin D for bone mineralization and the prevention of rickets was discovered. Vitamin D comprises a group of over 50 metabolites with multiple functions that go far beyond calcium homeostasis and bone mineralization. Approximately 50 years ago, first methods for the measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in human blood were developed. Over the years, different analytical principals were employed including competitive protein binding assays, high-performance liquid chromatography, various immunoassay and mass spectrometric formats. Until the recent standardization of serum 25(OH)D measurement, agreement between methods was unsatisfactory. Since then, comparability has improved, but substantial variability between methods remains. With the advent of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), the accurate determination of 25(OH)D and other metabolites, such as 24,25(OH)2D, becomes increasingly accessible for clinical laboratories. Easy access to 25(OH)D testing has triggered extensive clinical research showing that large parts of the population are vitamin D deficient. The variable response of vitamin D deficient individuals to supplementation indicates that assessing patients’ vitamin D stores by measuring 25(OH)D provides limited insight into the metabolic situation. Meanwhile, first evidence has emerged suggesting that the simultaneous measurement of 25(OH)D, 24,25(OH)2D and other metabolites allows a dynamic evaluation of patients’ vitamin D status on metabolic principals. This may help to identify patients with functional vitamin D deficiency from those without. It can be expected that research into the assessment vitamin D status will continue for another 50 years and that this will help rationalizing our approach in clinical practice.
Transformed primal–dual methods for nonlinear saddle point systems
Authors: Chen Long , Wei Jingrong
Published: January 2023

A transformed primal–dual (TPD) flow is developed for a class of nonlinear smooth saddle point systemThe flow for the dual variable contains a Schur complement which is strongly convex. Exponential stability of the saddle point is obtained by showing the strong Lyapunov property. Several TPD iterations are derived by implicit Euler, explicit Euler, implicit–explicit, and Gauss–Seidel methods with accelerated overrelaxation of the TPD flow. Generalized to the symmetric TPD iterations, linear convergence rate is preserved for convex–concave saddle point systems under assumptions that the regularized functions are strongly convex. The effectiveness of augmented Lagrangian methods can be explained as a regularization of the non-strongly convexity and a preconditioning for the Schur complement. The algorithm and convergence analysis depends crucially on appropriate inner products of the spaces for the primal variable and dual variable. A clear convergence analysis with nonlinear inexact inner solvers is also developed.
Broadband transfer of binary images via optically long wire media
Authors: Vovchuk Dmytro , Khobzei Mykola , Apostoliuk Mykhailo , Tkach Vladyslav , Simovski Constantin
Published: January 2023

In the paper the binary mechanism of the long-distance image transfer in a wire-medium (WM) endoscope is suggested and studied. We have shown that a discrete image formed by a set of point sources TM-polarized with respect to the WM can be transferred from the input to the output of the endoscope in a very broad frequency band. The underlying physics is the formation of local channels by a group of four adjacent wires. It allows the transfer of the near field beyond the Fabry–Perot resonances at which the known canalization mechanism offers the image. Both numerical simulations and experimental measurements confirm the deeply subwavelength resolution on the output WM interface. The binary imaging was studied until the frequencies at which the endoscope length exceeds 5λ. The transfer is possible in the entire investigated frequency range (from 1 up to 4 GHz) except for the frequencies where the Fabry–Perot resonance are not enough suppressed.