pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
COIM: An Object-Process Based Method for Analyzing Architectures of Complex, Interconnected, Large-Scale Socio-Technical Systems

There is growing evidence for the relevance of human behavioral factors in successful development of new products, processes, and services. The evidence is even clearer when the forces affecting the development and evolution of long-lived, large, and open complex socio-technical systems are examined. Methods that study the architecture of these systems can help scholars and practitioners to better understand, manage, and develop socio-technical systems. We propose an approach and a method to address these needs that is grounded in the theory of systems architecture and builds on the strengths of Object Process Methodology (OPM) and the process for representing Complex Large-scale Interconnected Open Socio-technical (CLIOS) systems. We do so by integrating these methods into the CLIOS-OPM Integrated Method (COIM). COIM is conducive to studying a system's architecture and its evolution, as it is enhanced by a set of qualitative methods for answering questions about the reasons (why) and process (how) of change in human-made systems over time.Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Communications Futures ProgramNational Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant #EIA-0306723
An advanced cost estimation methodology for engineering systems

A mathematically advanced method for improving the fidelity of cost estimation for an engineering system is presented. In this method historical cost records can be expanded either through the use of local metamodels or by using an engineering build‐up model. In either case, the expanded data set is analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) in order to identify the physical parameters, and the principal components (PCs) which demonstrate the highest correlation to the cost. A set of predictor variables, composed of the physical parameters and of the multipliers of the principal components which demonstrate the highest correlation to the cost, is developed. This new set of predictor variables is regressed, using the Kriging method, thus creating a cost estimation model with a high level of predictive capability and fidelity. The new methodology is used for analyzing a set of cost data available in the literature, and the new cost model is compared to results from a neural network based analysis and to a cost regression model. Further, a case study addressing the fabrication of a submarine pressure hull is developed in order to illustrate the new method. The results from the final regression model are presented and compared to results from other cost regression methods. The technical characteristics of the new novel general method are presented and discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst En
An Agent-Based Simulation Model of Human-Robot Team Performance in Military Environments

The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sys.21216Prior to deploying human-robot teams on military missions, system designers need to understand how
design decisions affect team performance. This paper describes a multiagent simulation model that
captures both team coordination and human-robot interaction. The purpose of the model is to evaluate
proposed team designs in uncertain Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) scenarios and determine
which design factors are most critical to team performance. The simulation model is intended to be a tool
in the systems engineering iterations of proposing designs, testing them, and then evaluating them during
the conceptual design phase. To illustrate the model’s usefulness for this purpose, a fractional factorial
design of experiments is conducted to evaluate team design factors and the two-factor interaction between
controllable factors and noise factors that described the environment and robot reliability. The experimental
results suggest that (1) larger teams have more robust performance over the noise factors, (2) robot
reliability is critical to the formation of human-robot teams, and (3) high centralization of decision-making
authority created communication bottlenecks at the commander in large teams. This work contributes to
the agent-based modeling of teams, and to understanding how the U.S. Army can attain its goal of greater
utilization of robots in future military operations.Contract grant sponsor: U.S. Army Research Laboratory through the University of Central Florida and was accomplished under Cooperative Agreement Number W911NF-06-2-0041
Technology Portfolio Planning by Weighted Graph Analysis of System Architectures

Many systems undergo significant architecture-level change throughout their lifecycles in order to adapt to new operating and funding contexts, to react to failed technology development, or to incorporate new technologies. In all cases early architecture selection and technology investment decisions will constrain the system to certain regions of the tradespace, which can limit the evolvability of the system and its robustness to exogenous changes. In this paper we present a method for charting development pathways within a tradespace of potential architectures, with a view to enabling robustness to technology portfolio realization and later architectural changes. The tradespace is first transformed into a weighted, directed graph of architecture nodes with connectivity determined by relationships between technology portfolios and functional architecture. The tradespace exploration problem is then restated as a shortest path problem through this graph. This method is applied to the tradespace of in-space transportation architectures for missions to Mars, finding that knowledge of pathways through the tradespace can identify negative coupling between functional architectures and particular technologies, as well as identify ways to prioritize future technology investments.Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technolog
The value of preparation in a systems engineering masters module : a longitudinal case study

This research emanates from a systems-oriented process of investigation into the educational approach of masters in engineering management programmes in order to find ways to improve student through-put rate and the quality of learning. The document describes the educational process, with specific emphasis on student preparedness, including the value and impact of a pivotal preparation test. This process is guided by constructive alignment; learning cycles through interactive blended teaching; and a focus on student learning. A longitudinal descriptive case study of the programmes was undertaken, focusing on a systems engineering module, which is integral to all masters programmes. The case is described with regard to its context; the educational process and teaching approach; and an educational and statistical analysis of the preparation test. The main contribution of the paper is the resulting structured, holistic, and integrated education process, designed to address the challenges, including a specific focus on student preparation and the pivotal preparation test. A clear link was established between student preparedness and the subsequent levels of teaching and learning. The preparation test was found to be on the relevant cognitive level; a predictor of course success; influencing positively the motivation of students; as well as impacting on the adaptation of the educational process. The use of the adapted Bloom’s taxonomy to evaluate cognitive levels of an intervention; the application of learning cycles and constructive alignment; as well as the impact of a preparation test, can significantly enhance the quality of the education process and consequently, student through-put rates.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1520-68582016-03-31hb201
Review of Value and Lean in Complex Product Development

Approaches are being developed to improve complex product development from the perspective of value generation. However, the ideas and their relationships are still not fully articulated. We provide a structured literature review, with a primary but not exclusive focus on value ideas relating to lean in complex system product development. A framework organizes the concepts, methods, and their relationships. It clarifies the value delivery mechanism and could help to understand and thus improve value systems. Areas deserving further research attention are identified.We wish to thank the reviewers and editor for their valuable feedback, which helped to substantially improve early ver-sions of this articleThis is the accepted manuscript for a paper published in Systems Engineering Volume 18, Issue 2, pages 192–207, March 2015, DOI: 10.1002/sys.2129
Design Catalogs: A Systematic Approach to Design and Value Flexibility in Engineering Systems

This paper proposes design catalogs as an efficient systematic process for identifying and evaluating improved designs in engineering systems by exploiting ideas of flexibility. Standard design and evaluation approaches typically do not cope well with a range of possible operating conditions. They often simplify considerations of uncertainty, which may lead to designs that do not perform as well as those responding dynamically to changing conditions. The proposed process addresses the complexity of the design problem under uncertainty, recognizing that it is impossible to analyze all possible combinations of evolutions, and the flexible ways in which the system could adapt over time. The process creates a small subset of designs that collectively perform well over a range of scenarios. It bundles representative scenarios and their flexible responses to enable a more thorough analysis that accounts explicitly for uncertainty—and enable considerations of improved designs. Each element consists of combinations of design variables, parameters, and management decision rules carefully selected, and referred as operating plans. In the example analysis, the process improves economic performance by 37% as compared to standard methods in an infrastructure system case study, while exploring only 3% of the design space. It reaches 86% of the stochastically optimal solution while being 183 times faster computationally in the example numerical study. The systematic property aims for practical applications in industry. In each phase, it gives the freedom to rely on the designer's expertise with the system, or to consider analytical tools already in use at the design organization.National University of Singapore (MOE AcRF Tier 1 Grant WBS R-266-000-061-133)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems DivisionMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Real Estat
Distributed Resource Management in Systems of Systems: An Architecture
  Perspective

This paper introduces a framework for studying the interactions of autonomous
system components and the design of the connectivity structure in Systems of
Systems (SoSs). This framework, which uses complex network models, is also used
to study the connectivity structure's impact on resource management. We discuss
resource sharing as a mechanism that adds a level of flexibility to distributed
systems and describe the connectivity structures that enhance components'
access to the resources available within the system. The framework introduced
in this paper explicitly incorporates costs of connection and the benefits that
are received by direct and indirect access to resources and provides measures
of the optimality of connectivity structures. We discuss central and a
distributed schemes that, respectively, represent systems in which a central
planner determines the connectivity structure and systems in which distributed
components are allowed to add and sever connections to improve their own
resource access. Furthermore, we identify optimal connectivity structures for
systems with various heterogeneity conditions.Comment: 19 pages. To appear in Systems Engineering Journal 201
From Modular to Distributed Open Architectures: A Unified Decision
  Framework

This paper introduces a conceptual, yet quantifiable, architecture framework
by extending the notion of system modularity in its broadest sense.
Acknowledging that modularity is not a binary feature and comes in various
types and levels, the proposed framework introduces higher levels of modularity
that naturally incorporate decentralized architecture on the one hand and
autonomy in agents and subsystems on the other. This makes the framework
suitable for modularity decisions in Systems of Systems and for analyzing the
impact of modularity on broader surrounding ecosystems. The stages of
modularity in the proposed framework are naturally aligned with the level of
variations and uncertainty in the system and its environment, a relationship
that is central to the benefits of modularity. The conceptual framework is
complemented with a decision layer that makes it suitable to be used as a
computational architecture decision tool to determine the appropriate stage and
level of modularity of a system, for a given profile of variations and
uncertainties in its environment. We further argue that the fundamental
systemic driving forces and trade-offs of moving from monolithic to distributed
architecture are essentially similar to those for moving from integral to
modular architectures. The spectrum, in conjunction with the decision layer,
could guide system architects when selecting appropriate parameters and
building a system-specific computational tool from a combination of existing
tools and techniques. To demonstrate the applicability of the framework, a case
for fractionated satellite systems based on a simplified demo of the DARPA F6
program is presented.Comment: 22 page
The S-Cycle performance matrix : supporting comprehensive sustainability performance evaluation of technical systems

The work reported in this paper consolidates and rationalises disparate evaluation methods in a novel, generic framework to support the selection of comprehensive material/energetic sustainability performance indicators (SPIs) for technical systems. The S-Cycle Performance Matrix (S-CPMatrix) is comprised of 6 generic sustainability goals, 11 SPI archetypes, and 23 corresponding metrics identified from a model of technical system sustainability (the S-Cycle). The matrix was evaluated by interpreting and classifying 324 indicators currently applied to evaluate technical system sustainability performance in the literature, with 94.1% found to be fully classifiable with respect to the matrix following several refinements. The remaining 5.9% suggested additional SPI archetypes and a goal that were not initially identified. The matrix is intended to support decision makers in meeting three criteria for comprehensiveness identified from the literature: (C1) inclusion of indicators measuring performance at all relevant scales; (C2) inclusion of efficiency and effectiveness indicators; and (C3) coverage of all system sustainability goals. It may be applied to different systems in conjunction with different evaluation methods, thereby contributing to more consistent guidance on the selection of comprehensive SPIs for technical systems. In addition to industrial evaluation and comparison with existing evaluation methods, four avenues for future research were identified: (i) use of the S-CPMatrix to support systems comparison/benchmarking; (ii) further investigation of unsupported metrics; (iii) the nature and measurement of contaminants; and (iv) the comprehensiveness of SPI sets currently used in sustainability performance evaluation of technical systems
Modelling shear-flexure interaction in equivalent frame models of slender reinforced concrete walls

Quasi-static cyclic tests on reinforced concrete (RC) walls have shown that shear deformations can constitute a significant ratio of the total deformations when the wall is loaded beyond the elastic regime. For slender RC walls that form a stable flexural mechanism, the ratio of shear to flexural deformations remains approximately constant over the entire range of imposed displacement ductilities. This paper proposes a method for incorporating shear-flexure interaction effects in equivalent frame models of slender RC walls by coupling the shear force-shear strain relationship to the curvature and axial strain in the member. The suggested methodology is incorporated in a finite element consisting of two interacting spread inelasticity sub-elements representing flexural and shear response, respectively. The element is implemented in the general finite element code IDARC and validated against experimental results of RC cantilever walls. In a second step, it is applied in inelastic static and dynamic analyses of tall wall and wall-frame systems. It is shown that ignoring shear-flexure interaction may lead to erroneous predictions in particular of local ductility and storey drift demands
Shaking Table Model Test and FE Analysis of a Reinforced Concrete Mega-Frame Structure with Tuned Mass Dampers

To study the damage characteristics and to evaluate the overall seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) mega-frame structures, a shaking table test of a 1/25 scaled model with a rooftop tuned mass damper (TMD) is performed. The maximum deformation and acceleration responses are measured. The dynamic behavior and the damping effect with and without TMD are compared. The results indicate that the mega-frame structure has excellent seismic performance and the TMD device has a significant vibration reduction effect. A finite element (FE) model simulating the scaled model is also developed, and the numerical and experimental results are compared to provide a better understanding of the overall structural behavior in particular those related to the dynamic characteristics and damping effect. Upon verification of the FE model, other important structural behavior can also be predicted by the FE analysis.Full Tex
Incorporating sustainable development principles into building design: a review from a structural perspective including case study

The incorporation of sustainable development (SD) principles into all industries is increasingly important. The contribution of the building industry to a wide range of environmental impacts is extensive with the construction, operation and maintenance of buildings accounting for approximately 50% of all energy usage and anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. In the building design process, structural engineers play a limited role in the sustainability of a design. The decisions on the incorporation of such aspects are usually at the mercy of the architect and client. A literature review was conducted to record and present the variability in research on issues directly related to the environmental performance of structures.  There are inconsistencies in the published contribution of embodied energy (EE) and proportion of life cycle energy usage in structures. Outcomes demonstrate that due to this variability, environmental performance of structures is difficult to validate. A systematic approach beginning with standardised calculation procedure and database generation for EE of building materials is essential for practitioners to deliver sustainable structural designs. An analysis of a typical concrete office structure indicates potential benefits through the use of quantifiable environmental performance measures, delivering efficient solutions. Comparisons of slab construction techniques indicate overall EE reductions up to 40% being achievable.Griffith Sciences, Griffith School of EngineeringFull Tex
Instability analysis of reinforced concrete walls with various support conditions

Axially loaded reinforced concrete walls can be designed using simplified design methods given in codes such as the Australian Concrete Standard Code (AS3600-09) and the American Concrete Institute Code (ACI318-14). However, these practical equations are based on empirical models, and their scope of application is still limited. In particular, walls with the various support conditions, high slenderness, and aspect ratios have been given little treatment. Recent research has been undertaken on the applicability of more reliable and accurate wall design methods. This paper initially presents a derived numerical technique incorporated in a computer program (WASTABT), to implement the iterative analysis for concrete walls with various support conditions. The outputs from the WASTABT program are verified using the results obtained from previous experimental results. A parametric study is then conducted using the verified computer-based numerical technique to analyse axially loaded reinforced concrete panels. The study focuses on the effect of varying panel properties such as slenderness ratios, aspect ratios, concrete strengths, eccentricities, and reinforcement ratios, along with varying support conditions.Griffith Sciences, Griffith School of EngineeringFull Tex
Influence of non-structural components on lateral stiffness of tall buildings

A building is a complex assemblage of both structural and non-structural components (NSC). Although many NSC, such as partition walls, external walls, parapet walls, stairwells, elevator shafts and so forth, are connected directly to the structural system, their behaviour and stiffening effects under lateral loading have normally been ignored by design engineers, despite significant advances in computer technology and the availability of modern computational resources. The performance of structures can be greatly improved by the increase in strength arising from the NSC; on the contrary, this increase in strength also accompanies an increase in the initial stiffness of the structure, which may consequently attract additional seismically induced lateral inertia forces. This paper is concerned with the estimation of the lateral stiffness contributed by the NSC to the total stiffness of three common forms of tall building structures constructed in Hong Kong. Both dynamic tests and numerical modelling of the buildings have been carried out for this purpose. Natural period estimates from dynamic tests and from analyses using calibrated finite element models were found to be in remarkable agreement. Significant stiffness contributions from NSC to the total lateral stiffness of tall buildings have been observed in the study. The extent of the contributions depends on the structural form and the type of components. Other contributions to the additional stiffness have also been analysed for comparison in the study. Copyright ©2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.postprin
High-performance control of wind-induced vibration of high-rise building via innovative high-hardness rubber damper

High-hardness viscoelastic rubber dampers are used to upgrade both the habitability environment and the structural safety in high-rise buildings subjected to wind disturbances. While most of usual viscoelastic dampers have limitation on temperature and frequency dependencies, etc., the proposed high-hardness viscoelastic rubber dampers possess many unprecedented properties. High hardness, large stiffness, small temperature and frequency dependencies are examples of such properties. Mechanical modelling of the proposed high-hardness viscoelastic rubber dampers is introduced first, and the wind-induced response of high-rise buildings with and without the proposed high-hardness viscoelastic rubber dampers is computed under dynamic horizontal loads derived from wind tunnel tests. It is shown that high-rise buildings with the proposed high-hardness viscoelastic rubber dampers exhibit extremely smaller wind-induced responses (both along-wind and cross-wind responses) than those without such dampers. In particular, a remarkable reduction of acceleration has been achieved owing to sufficient hysteresis even in the small strain range. It is concluded that the proposed high-hardness viscoelastic rubber dampers can upgrade the habitability environment of building structures dramatically