Bibliographies: 'Capacity restraint' – Grafiati (2024)

Abstract:

Energy balance methods commonly in use for the design of pipe whip restraints are based on the solution for the motion of a rigid-plastic pipe before impact against the restraint, with the assumption that after impact, the whipping portion of the pipe continues to rotate about the plastic hinge location determined for conditions before impact. Such energy balance methods are not necessarily conservative because: 1) the plastic hinge which forms in the pipe moves after impact on the restraint; and 2) elastic pipe deformations are not considered. Here, upper and lower bounds to the required restraint capacity are derived. In contrast to finite element methods, which are very time-consuming, the upper and lower bounds can be evaluated by simple hand calculations. Another advantage is that the required restraint capacity is calculated directly. No trial and error design is required. A numerical example shows that for a typical pipe and restraint, the upper and lower bounds differ by as little as 20 percent.

Abstract:

This systematic review aimed to identify thematic elements within definitions of physical and chemical restraint, compare explicit and implicit definitions, and synthesize reliability and validity of studies examining physical and/or chemical restraint use in long-term care. Studies were included that measured prevalence of physical and/or chemical restraint use, or evaluated an intervention to reduce restraint use in long-term care. 86 papers were included in this review, all discussed physical restraint use and 20 also discussed chemical restraint use. Seven themes were generated from definitions including: restraint method, setting resident is restrained in, stated intent, resident capacity to remove/control, caveats and exclusions, duration, frequency or number, and consent and resistance. None of the studies reported validity of measurement approaches. Inter-rater reliability was reported in 27 studies examining physical restraint use, and only one study of chemical restraint. Results were compared to an existing consensus definition of physical restraint, which was found to encompass many of the thematic domains found within explicit definitions. However, studies rarely applied measurement approaches that reflected all of the identified themes of definitions. It is necessary for a consensus definition of chemical restraint to be established and for measurement approaches to reflect the elements of definitions.

Abstract:

In this paper, a modified strains development model (MSDM) for expansive concrete-filled steel tube (ECFST) was formulated and verified on the experimental data, obtained from testing specimens on the expansion stage. The modified strain development model for restraint strains and self-stresses values estimation in concrete with high expansion energy capacity under any type of the symmetrical and unsymmetrical finite stiffness restraint conditions was proposed. Based on proposed MSDM a new model for expansive concrete-filled steel tubes is developed. The main difference between this model and other previously developed models consists in taking into account in the basic equations an induced force in restrain that is considered as an external load applied to the concrete core of the member. For verification of the proposed model-specific experimental studies were performed. As follows from comparison results restrained expansion strains values calculated following the proposed model shows good compliance with experimental data. The values predicted by the proposed MSDM for concrete-filled steel and obtained experimental data demonstrated good agreement that confirms the validity of the former.

Abstract:

Subjecting to the compressive membrane action (CMA), the ultimate load capacity of the reinforced concrete (RC) slab with lateral restraint would be improved obviously. Test of 12 one-way slab specimens restrained by shear-walls was carried out to investigate the properties of the slab strips’ compressive membrane action. The reduced-size specimens were designed to keep the ratios of shear-walls’ restraint stiffness to slab strips’ flexural stiffness unchanged. One horizontal testing instrument was first used to record the development of the slabs’ lateral restraint forces. The ultimate loads of slab strips with certain lateral restraint stiffness gave an average 38.3% rise from the calculations of upper-bound method. Though the increment of slab’s ultimate load was due to the additional moment formed by the lateral restraint force, the results showed that the peak of lateral force lagged of the slab strips’ ultimate load, which was different from the previous hypothesis. Various parameters which affect the development of CMA were also investigated, such as the shear-wall’s thickness, axial load on the walls, the slab strips’ span-height ratio and reinforcement percentage.

Abstract:

This paper presents an estimation of the elastic shear buckling capacity of corrugated plates with edges elastically restrained against rotation. The corrugated plate possesses higher shear buckling capacity compared to an unfolded flat plate. It has been used to replace the concrete web in PC box girders in recent bridge constructions in Japan. In this study, the corrugated plate is modelled as an orthotropic Mindlin plate. Elastically rotational restraint on boundary edges is taken into account in the form of rotational springs in the analysis. The prediction of buckling capacities of corrugated plates is carried out by using the Rayleigh–Ritz method, which was proved to be consistent with those as predicted by existing formulas for the limiting cases of simply-supported and clamped edges. The present study covers the more general case of elastically rotational restraint on the boundary edges showing transition curve of plate buckling capacities from the case of simple support to the case of clamped support.

Abstract:

Abstract Compared to nuclear weapons, chemical and biological weapons or advanced conventional weapons systems, such as missiles, small arms and light weapons (SALW) and the ammunition required to render them lethal, have received less attention from arms control analysts. Accordingly the focus of this commentary is upon two particular inadequacies identified within the existing SALW restraint repertoire. They include, first, a failure to have SALW ammunition designated as an objective deserving explicit restraint designation and, secondly, persisting and largely unresolved state differences over controlling supplies of this weaponry to armed non-state actors. Both concerns illustrate how a use of consensus procedures within relevant rule formulation has favoured the interests of major SALW suppliers. The two deficiencies identified are considered destabilising given their continued capacity to degrade restraints designed to restrict deployments of this long-lasting weaponry—particularly within locations exhibiting limited forms of state capacity. The scope for existing legal mechanisms to remedy these deficiencies is examined, as is their potential to induce enhanced compliance and implementation.

Abstract:

Once a RC structure is laterally restrained, both the static and dynamic load resistances will be enhanced due to the membrane action. Despite this known advantage, the apparent lack of systemic and efficient methods of analysis poses a drawback in the design and assessment of blast-resistant RC structures. First, a simplified membrane action theory was presented by modifying the maximum membrane force design method (MMFM) for predicting the total static resistance-deflection curves of restrained beam-slab RC structures. Second, a series of constrained beams were tested to validate the new theory, for which better agreement was observed between the test data, the results predicted by the proposed theory and those by MMFM. The results show that the static load carrying capacity and membrane force increase with increasing restraint stiffness, and the smaller the reinforcement ratio is, the larger the load carrying capacity increases. Third, based on the improved compressive static membrane action theory, a new analytical method was developed to investigate the dynamic responses of restrained RC structures subjected to blast loads, using an equivalent single degree of freedom system that combines the three-parameter elasto-viscoplastic rate-sensitive material model with the proposed static theory. Good agreement is observed between the test data and the analytical results. Finally, it is demonstrated that the dynamic resistance capacity increases with increasing load rate and restraint stiffness and with decreasing tensile reinforcement ratio, but the larger the dynamic resistance is, the larger the plastic deformation of the structure.

Abstract:

Background and aim:Coercive physical measures, such as seclusion and restraint are sometimes used in psychiatric inpatient treatment for the management of severely disturbed behaviour of patients. As part of a larger study on the use of restraint and seclusion in a psychiatric unit of a general hospital in Greece we aimed to record the patients’ and their relatives’ attitudes on coercive measures.Methods:Data regarding patients’ and family accounts on coercive measures were collected retrospectively with chart review of all patients who had been admitted to the psychiatric ward of the University Hospital of Ioannina over a six-month period and had been subjected to restraint or seclusion. During hospitalization and after the periods of restraint or seclusion, patients and relatives had been asked whether they considered coercion as justified or not. Patients had been also asked whether they perceived this experience as harmful.Results:Thirty one cases of restraint and seclusion from a total of 282 admissions were recorded during the study period. In 6 cases the patients refused to answer or did not have the decision making capacity. Twenty out of 25 (80%) patients considered their coercion to be unjustified and perceived it as traumatic experience. Twenty-five out of 28 (89.3%) relatives considered justified the decision to restrain or seclude the patient.Conclusions:Patients and their families have different accounts on coercion, but more research is needed. It is important for care planning to record the patients’ and families’ views and integrate them in mental health policy making.

Abstract:

The purpose of the thesis is to contribute to grid planning and public debate about how the electric power system can cope with electrification and decarbonisation. The thesis is based on the assumption that Sweden, in accordance with the climate goals, will achieve climate neutrality by 2045. Based on a literature review, an analysis is made of how different scenarios predict the future national electricity demand up until 2045 and identifies the underlying drivers for changes in electricity demand. A more detailed analysis based on results from a literature review and interviews with industry representatives is made for four chosen regions, Norrbotten, Västra Götaland, Stockholm and Skåne. For each region, estimates are made of how high the electrification potential is in the industrial, transport, residential and service sectors. The prerequisites for the electricity grid to handle the identified electrification potential, in terms of grid capacity, have been analysed in order to highlight what challenges there are for large-scale electrification to be a key factor in achieving the climate goals. The general belief in the studied scenarios is that the national electricity demand will increase until 2045. The investigated scenarios predict increases resulting in an annual national electricity demand of up to 207 TWh in 2045, corresponding to an increase of almost 60 %. The most significant increases are due to decarbonisation in the industry and transport sector. The regional analysis shows significant electrification potentials in the investigated regions. A few industries stand out with dramatic increases, Borealis AB in Västra Götaland shows an electrification potential of 8 TWh and 1000 MW and SSAB in Norrbotten shows an electrification potential of 9 TWh and 900 MW. Significant electrification potentials in the transport, residential and service sectors have been identified in metropolitan areas, i.e. in the region of Stockholm, Västra Götaland and Skåne. The grid analysis shows that it will be challenging to increase grid capacity at sufficient speed. It is concluded that there is currently insufficient grid capacity to meet large-scale electrification, and that the grids need to be reinforced. However, the concession process for grid reinforcements is considered too slow to meet the demands that arise, primarily in the industry sector. Three ways to address this challenge have been identified: - If the permission process for electricity grid expansion does not change and the industry is to choose the electrification route, this needs to be decided before 2030 in order for reinforcements in the electricity grid to be ensured before 2045. - Speed up the permit process to allow shorter lead times for power grid expansions. - The industry choose another route for decarbonisation than electrification. The overall conclusion is that new approaches for expanding the electricity grid will be required if large-scale electrification is to be a key factor in achieving the climate goals in 2045.

Abstract:

The current experiment aims to integrate the neuropsychological and physiological consequences of rape trauma and physical restraint. Given the preponderance of rape on college campuses, it is important for continued research efforts to provide insight into the impact that this traumatic experience may have on the victim. Moreover, it is expected that an improved understanding of these consequences and mechanisms will provide a foundation for prevention and treatment efforts. Within this context, capacity theory provides a basis for appreciating that extreme stress may alter and/or damage neural systems principally associated with the regulatory control or inhibition over brain regions directly involved in the experiential processing and/or comprehension of the traumatic event. The aim of the present experiment was to explore how the experience of rape trauma may alter or diminish this capacity, resulting in deregulation, heightened reactivity, and sensitivity to decomposition from subsequent exposure to these events. It was hypothesized that individuals with resultant capacity limitations would differ in the regulatory control of cynical hostility or denial and sympathetic advances of the autonomic nervous system. Results demonstrated that women who have experienced rape showed decreased frontal regulatory control capacity compared to women who have not experienced rape as evidenced in sympathetic reactivity (heart rate, electrodermal activity, and systolic blood pressure) to frontal lobe stressors. Results are discussed in terms of the extant neuropsychological literature and the implications of observed differences for women who have experienced rape type trauma.
Doctor of Philosophy

Abstract:

The importance of IL-17 is underscored both by its resistance to control by regulatory T cells (Treg) and the propensity of Treg to produce this highly inflammatory cytokine. I addressed whether Th17 cells are inhibited by Treg from anti-TNF treated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis patients (PsA) and defined the underlying mechanisms. Th17 responses were inhibited by Treg isolated from RA patients responding to the anti-TNF antibody adalimumab, but not by Treg from healthy individuals or patients with active RA. Furthermore, in patients with RA, response to adalimumab therapy was associated with a reduction in RORC+ Th17 cells and an increase in FOXP3+ Treg lacking Helios and CD62L expression. These Treg suppressed Th17 cells through inhibition of monocyte-derived IL-6, but independently of IL-10 and TGF-ß, which mediated suppression of Th1 responses. Surprisingly, therapy with the anti-IL-6 receptor, tocilizumab, did not result in a reduction in RORC+ cells in RA patients. Rather, tocilizumab reduced T cell IL-21 production, which was associated with a diminished memory B cell population. The acquisition of IL-17 suppressor function by Treg was not observed in RA patients responding to etanercept, a modified TNF receptor, or in PsA patients treated with either adalimumab or etanercept. Moreover, response to therapy was not associated with an increase in Treg number in these patients. In RA patients treated with etanercept the inability of Treg to suppress Th17 responses was associated with high levels of IL-17 production and high levels of RORC+ Th17 cells ex vivo. In contrast, there was a reduction in IL-17 production and RORC+ Th17 cells ex vivo in PsA patients treated with both adalimumab and etanercept. Furthermore, depletion of Treg from PBMC showed that Treg from healthy controls, patients with active PsA and PsA patients responding to adalimumab can modulate the production of IL-22, a key cytokine in inflammatory skin disorders. However, PsA patients responding to etanercept have an impaired ability to regulate production of this cytokine. In conclusion, the induction of IL-17 suppressing Treg by anti-TNF is both therapy and disease specific. These data provides a rationale for the therapeutic benefit of switching between different anti-TNF agents. Furthermore, the induction of highly potent Treg may offer an explanation as to why patients treated with adalimumab have an increased risk of developing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB).

Abstract:

The Central and Eastern United States (CEUS) is a region that is characterized by low frequency-high consequence seismic events such as the New Madrid sequence of 18111812. The infrequent nature of earthquakes in the region has led to a perception that the seismic risk in the area is low, and the current building stock reflects this perception. The majority of steel-framed buildings in the CEUS were designed without regard to seismic loads. Such frames possess limited seismic resistance, and may pose an unacceptable risk if a large earthquake were to occur in the region. A key ingredient of building performance and seismic risk assessment is the fragility, a term that describes the probability of failure to meet a performance objective as a function of demand on the system. The effects of uncertainties on building seismic performance can be displayed by a seismic fragility relationship. This fragility can be used in a conditional scenario-based seismic risk assessment or can be integrated with seismic hazard to obtain an estimate of annual or lifetime risk. The seismic fragility analyses in this study focus on steel frames that are typical of building construction in regions of infrequent seismicity; such frames have received little attention to date in building seismic risk assessment. Current steel building stock in Shelby Co., TN has been represented by five code-compliant model frames with different lateral force-resisting systems, i.e., braced-frames, partially-restrained moment frames and a rigid moment frame. The performance of model frames under certain hazard levels was assessed using fragility curves. Different rehabilitation methods were discussed and applied. Results indicate that PR frames behave better than expected and rehabilitated frames perform quite well even under severe earthquakes.

Abstract:

The Last Word argues that the Hollywood novel opened up space for cultural critique of the film industry at a time when the industry lacked the capacity to critique itself. While the young studio system worked tirelessly to burnish its public image in the wake of celebrity scandal, several industry insiders wrote fiction to fill in what newspapers and fan magazines left out. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, these novels aimed to expose the invisible machinery of classical Hollywood cinema, including not only the evolving artifice of the screen but also the promotional discourse that complemented it. As likeminded filmmakers in the 1940s and 1950s gradually brought the dark side of the industry to the screen, however, the Hollywood novel found itself struggling to live up to its original promise of delivering the unfilmable. By the 1960s, desperate to remain relevant, the genre had devolved into little more than erotic fantasy of movie stars behind closed doors, perhaps the only thing the public couldn’t already find elsewhere. Still, given their unique ability to speak beyond the institutional restraints of their time, these earlier works offer a window into the industry’s dynamic creation and re-creation of itself in the public imagination.

Abstract:

Europe is in crisis. With rising unrest among citizens of European Union Member States exemplified by the UK’s decision to leave the European Union (EU), and the growing popularity of anti-EU political parties, this book presents the argument that Europe has to change its method of further integration or risks failure. The book asserts that currently the EU does not have enough sources of legitimation to uphold itself, surviving solely on the legitimation provided by Member States. One popular remedy is the suggestion of ‘parliamentarization’ of the EU, giving the European Parliament the powers typically possessed by national parliaments as a means of heightening its legitimation. This is criticized by the book as expanding the Parliament’s powers would not change the effects of over-constitutionalization as the Parliament is inferior to the constitution. In order to reduce the EU’s legitimacy deficit, the book makes several recommendations, including the re-politicization of the decision-making processes, which can be achieved by reducing treaties to the capacity necessary for their constitutional function; the reinvigoration of European Parliament elections, by having ‘Europeanized’ parties to increase engagement with European society and give voters the opportunity to more immediately influence European politics; and a new division of powers based on subject matter to restrain European expansionism, reserving particular areas of policy to the responsibility of Member States even if this affects the common market.

Abstract:

We fail to mandate economic sanity, writes Garrett Hardin, "because our brains are addled by...compassion." With such startling assertions, Hardin has cut a swathe through the field of ecology for decades, winning a reputation as a fearless and original thinker. A prominent biologist, ecological philosopher, and keen student of human population control, Hardin now offers the finest summation of his work to date, with an eloquent argument for accepting the limits of the earth's resources--and the hard choices we must make to live within them. In Living Within Limits, Hardin focuses on the neglected problem of overpopulation, making a forceful case for dramatically changing the way we live in and manage our world. Our world itself, he writes, is in the dilemma of the lifeboat: it can only hold a certain number of people before it sinks--not everyone can be saved. The old idea of progress and limitless growth misses the point that the earth (and each part of it) has a limited carrying capacity; sentimentality should not cloud our ability to take necessary steps to limit population. But Hardin refutes the notion that goodwill and voluntary restraints will be enough. Instead, nations where population is growing must suffer the consequences alone. Too often, he writes, we operate on the faulty principle of shared costs matched with private profits. In Hardin's famous essay, "The Tragedy of the Commons," he showed how a village common pasture suffers from overgrazing because each villager puts as many cattle on it as possible--since the costs of grazing are shared by everyone, but the profits go to the individual. The metaphor applies to global ecology, he argues, making a powerful case for closed borders and an end to immigration from poor nations to rich ones. "The production of human beings is the result of very localized human actions; corrective action must be local....Globalizing the 'population problem' would only ensure that it would never be solved." Hardin does not shrink from the startling implications of his argument, as he criticizes the shipment of food to overpopulated regions and asserts that coercion in population control is inevitable. But he also proposes a free flow of information across boundaries, to allow each state to help itself. "The time-honored practice of pollute and move on is no longer acceptable," Hardin tells us. We now fill the globe, and we have no where else to go. In this powerful book, one of our leading ecological philosophers points out the hard choices we must make--and the solutions we have been afraid to consider.

Abstract:

AbstractThe global aerospace industry is driving a demand for flexible manufacturing systems to accommodate multiple programs with variable capacities within a modular, economical production cell [1]. Traditional manufacturing cells often involve bespoke, monolithic hardware limited to single program use. This inherent restraint results in significant incurred costs and program disruption when reacting to design and capacity changes. This paper describes the development of a reconfigurable panel-indexing cell with a dynamic cost architecture as an alternative approach to established, monolithic tooling structures.

Abstract:

This chapter takes the reader through the elements that make up mental capacity and underpin, therefore, decision-making. The provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) are considered in some detail, but the laws governing other jurisdictions in the UK are mentioned. It discusses the legal consequences of incapacity, both for the older person concerned and others, are considered and broader principles (e.g. to do with best interests) governing the use of restraint, deprivation of liberty, and support for decision making. Finally, we turn our attention to how international human rights legislation, and the international disability rights movement generally, increasingly shape the legal approach to capacity and decision making in the UK. The chapter ends, therefore, by considering the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the compatibility of the MCA with its provisions.

Abstract:

This chapter examines the shift from a traditional strategy of isolationism to an embryonic variant of a strategy of retrenchment (called “restraint”) in the Arctic region. The Arctic is an area where environmental and economic (natural resources) concerns dominate the US agenda. Security considerations such as contested sovereignty – and the question of what proponents of a strategy of restraint call “chokepoints” – are generally neglected. The chapter therefore begins with a vignette about the Russians planting a titanium flag on the bed of the Arctic Ocean as the segue to a broader discussion of the strategic implications of the ice melt. We focus on the emergence of a new “commons;’” the development of new chokepoints that American strategists currently debate; and the lack of desire (and capacity) of the US Navy to take on this new role.

Abstract:

Chapter Five considers spectacle in Barnardo’s artfully constructed encounters with objects in his charity bazaars, analysing the notion of the Victorian consumer as a desiring agent in the context of evangelical charity bazaars, optimizing profit by inflecting the sale of ‘fancy goods’ with moral usefulness. The result is a strange nexus of excess and frugality, both affirming and denigrating consumerist desire. The discussion culminates with a look at Barnardo’s concomitant ‘Self-Denial Weeks’ instituted in 1894. The discussion examines the pull between moral restraint and unlicensed desire as Barnardo’s calendar of promotional and fundraising events enflamed in his supporters the desire to spend and consume, countermanded with the moral obligation to self-regulate desire. These events exemplify his ‘snowball’ mechanism for raising funds, a mode that had the capacity to reverberate almost virally around the globe.

Abstract:

This chapter examines how the Iliad promotes the capacity of its audience as individuals to acknowledge and respect the essential humanity of every other individual. It explains how the Iliad enables its audience to get a glimpse of the Trojan War from the Trojans' perspective, as well as the surprisingly humanizing depiction of Hector within his city. The Iliad suggests that the recognition of multiple perspectives makes moral judgment possible. In addition to humanizing the enemy and perhaps promoting self-restraint and compassion, the Iliad delineates the spheres of men and women: warfare and politics for men; domestic activities, weaving, and child-rearing for women. The chapter concludes by arguing that the Iliad confronts its audience with the responsibility to reassess the conviction that the capacity for violence deserves the highest honors that the community can confer.

Abstract:

This chapter details the relatively few legal controls and restrictions on partnerships and partnership agreements, together with aspects of contract law and litigation issues. In terms of contract law, the issues are capacity to become a partner, illegality and partnerships, and restraint of trade clauses in partnership agreements. With regard to the latter, the issues are validity and severance of such clauses as a matter of public policy, and enforcement. Medical and solicitors' partnerships are specifically considered in that context. The controls on partnership and business names in the Companies Act 2006 are set out, followed by the possibility of passing-off actions in tort. Finally, the position of partnerships, not being legal persons, as either complainants or defendants is considered.

Abstract:

This chapter examines the lessons of World War II with respect to money and monetary policy. World War I exposed the fragility of the monetary structure that had gold as its foundation, the great boom of the 1920s showed how futile monetary policy was as an instrument of restraint, and the Great Depression highlighted the ineffectuality of monetary policy for rescuing the country from a slump—for breaking out of the underemployment equilibrium once this had been fully and firmly established. On the part of John Maynard Keynes, the lesson was that only fiscal policy ensured not just that money was available to be borrowed but that it would be borrowed and would be spent. The chapter considers the experiences of Britain, Germany, and the United States with a lesson of World War II: that general measures for restraining demand do not prevent inflation in an economy that is operating at or near capacity.

Abstract:

Abstract Snubbers are used in industry to restrain piping in dynamic events which can see significant axial loading as well as lateral acceleration. Snubbers are often employed with an extension when required to bridge gaps between the piping and building structure. As a result, they are susceptible to buckling instability issues. The pipe support and restraint design by analysis buckling criteria for supports given within the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 1, Subsection NF is investigated to determine the behavior of snubber assemblies under combined axial and lateral loadings. Four types of analyses are performed on the assemblies under the action of axial loading to demonstrate finite element and closed form solutions. These include the following: linear Eigen buckling, nonlinear second order large deformation method, energy method and Euler Bernoulli beam theory. In addition, a variety of snubber assembly sizes are subjected to combined axial and lateral loading in the form of multiple magnitudes of lateral acceleration. The behavior was analyzed by the Euler Bernoulli beam theory and nonlinear second order large deformation method. The techniques of each method are compared providing explanations of the assumptions taken, relevant limitations and recommended applications.

Abstract:

Destructive testing of the complete motor coach/bus restraint system to include seatbelts, side glazing, and greenhouse structure was performed with the objective being to determine the overall rollover crashworthiness in this accident mode. During motor coach/bus rollovers, the roof and pillar structures may deform due to friction and body forces initiated by ground and roadway contact. Body deformation, as well as interaction of the glass with rocks and other debris on the ground and roadway, may lead to catastrophic glazing failure, opening a portal for occupant partial or complete ejection. Despite the relatively high occupant capacity of motor coaches/buses, many commercial designs provide seatbelt restraints only for the purpose of securing wheelchairs and the driver, providing no seatbelt restraints for occupants in passenger positions. Rollover testing was performed on a modified commuter motor coach/bus to determine the effectiveness of the seatbelts as primary restraints, and also on several energy absorbing window designs to determine their efficacy as secondary restraints. The results showed that properly fixated laminated glass and other designs were capable of fully retaining both belted and unbelted occupants during the staged collision. This testing showed that structural roof members and occupant retention glazing systems are feasible solutions for the purpose of occupant retention. The physical testing was complemented by simulations of this accident showing that the loading received by the occupants is not injurious.

Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to determine the Pipe Whip Restraint (PWR) location that would prevent the formation of a plastic hinge due to secondary effects of a postulated pipe break load in a high energy line(1). The prevention of a plastic hinge formation at the PWR location is important since its secondary effects could lead to additional interactions with safety related equipment, structure, and component that are essential to safely shutdown the nuclear power plants. The proper location of the PWR can be found by using the relationship between bending moment-carrying capacity of the pipe and the applied thrust force. Several closed-form solutions obtained from several literatures were studied and used to calculate bending moment-carrying capacities of a piping system and ultimately used to determine a plastic hinge length. The plastic hinge formation is also determined analytically by using the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method. ANSYS LS-DYNA® [8] Explicit Finite Element code is used in modeling the pipe whip models, which includes the piping system and pipe whip restraint. Comparisons are made between the analytical (FEA) results and the results from several closed-form solutions.

Abstract:

To investigate the crashworthiness capacity of a M1 type commercial vehicle, the full-scale finite element (FE) model of the vehicle has been established. On the basis of the FE model, the impact simulation subject to the 100% frontal impact has been carried out, and the results have been verified with the physical impact test. The analysis of the deformation path and the energy absorption indicates that the M1 vehicle lacks sufficient frontal deformation area and its peak crash acceleration (PCA) is too high, which raises a huge challenge for the sequent development of a safety restraint system. To enhance the crashworthiness of the M1 vehicle, some structural improvements have been implemented, with adding the energy absorbing box, improving the frontal frame parts and enhancing the front door. The frontal collapsing area has been investigated in order to figure out the layout position of the energy absorbing box. The design of the aluminum foam reinforced energy absorbing box has been made by using the surrogate modeling technique. The impact simulation results of the improved M1 vehicle show a significant decrease of the PCA and a more hom*ogeneous energy absorbing status, which verifies the validity of the proposed structures for crashworthiness improvement.

Abstract:

<p>On April 14, 2016, an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 hit in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. 12 bridges were damaged and could not be restored in a short time, significantly impacting the transportation of relief supplies through emergency roads to the disaster areas. Among them, an expressway bridge supported by rocking piers collapsed, which had never occurred in past earthquakes. The collapse was caused by the failure of restraint details on an abutment. The rocking piers, however, failed to prevent the superstructure from falling subsequently, because the pier joints with the girders and pile caps were all hinges that provided no restraint to superstructure. With this collapse as a starting point, seismic strengthening of bridges with rocking piers has started being implemented all over Japan. The authors’ company launched a strengthening project in July 2017. Among the expressways under our management, the Tomei Expressway has the largest traffic volume. Any bridge falling of the expressway may cause enormous damage. This paper presents a strengthening design and construction of a bridge in the Tomei Expressway for ist rocking piers. The rocking piers were strengthened by installing braces between each two neighboring piers. In addition, based on a nonlinear dynamic analysis, the pile caps under the piers were strengthened by thickening the cross section area and rigidizing their joints with the piers using reinforced concrete, in order to provide sufficient shear and bending capacity. The pivot bearings of the piers that support the girders were also strengthened, by installing restrainers and side surface steel plates. The strengthening construction was started in August 2018 and completed in March 2019.</p>

Abstract:

Buried pipelines can be subjected to differential ground movement events. The ground displacement field imposes geotechnical loads on the buried pipeline and may initiate pipeline deformation mechanisms that exceed design acceptance criteria with respect to serviceability requirements or ultimate limit states. The conventional engineering approach to define the mechanical performance of pipelines has been based on combined loading events for “in-air” conditions. This methodology is assumed to be overly conservative and ignores soil effects that imposes geotechnical loads and also provides restraint, on buried pipelines. The importance of pipeline/soil interaction and load transfer mechanisms that may affect local buckling of buried pipelines is not well understood. In this study a three-dimensional continuum finite element (FE) model, using the software package ABAQUS/Standard, was developed and calibrated based on large-scale tests on the local buckling of linepipe segments for in-air and buried conditions. The effects of geotechnical boundary conditions on pipeline deformation mechanism and load carrying capacity were examined for a single small diameter pipeline with average diameter to thickness ratio and deep buried condition. The calibrated model successfully reproduced the large-scale buried test results in terms of the local buckling location, pipeline carrying load capacity, soil deformation and soil failure mechanism.

Abstract:

Currently, the railroad industry is leaning towards alternative solutions to hardwood timber for crossties applications. This trend is part of an effort to increase train speeds beyond the wooden crossties capacity and minimize the negative environmental effects associated with them. Among the available alternatives are recycled plastic composite crossties. Their sustainably, environmental benefits, durability performance and ease of installation or one to one replacement of timber crossties render them an attractive and competitive solution. Several research programs have studied this material in the past. However, additional research is required to fully understand the behavior of these materials. This study aims to investigate the performance of fastening system used for recycled High Density Polyethylene crossties. The study encompasses comprehensive experimental investigations and analytical finite element modeling. The testing program evaluated each of the fastening system components using static test methods recommended by the AREMA manual. These tests addressed the spike pullout and lateral restraint for both screw and cut spikes as well as the fastening system uplift behavior. Moreover cyclic testing was also conducted on the full system to study the interactions of the fastening system components with the plastic composite crosstie. Finite element models were constructed and calibrated using the experimental data in order to extrapolate on the experimental results and predict different scenarios. The results observed in this study showed great promise highlighting the potential of these material if properly optimized and engineered.

Abstract:

This paper presents experimental and theoretical investigations on progressive collapse behavior of steel framed structures subjected to an extreme load such as fire, blast and impact. A new capacity-based index is proposed to quantify robustness of structures. An energy-based theoretical model is also proposed to quantify the effect of concrete slabs on collapse resistance of structures. The experimental results show that the dynamic amplification factors of frames subject to impact or blast are much less than the conventional value of 2.0. The collapse process of frames in fire can be either static or dynamic depending on the restraint conditions and load levels. It is necessary to account for the failure time and residual strength of blast-exposed columns for assessing the collapse resistance of structures subject to explosion. Two collapse modes of steel frames under blast or impact are found: connection-induced collapse mode and column-induced collapse mode. In case of fire, a frame may collapse due to either column buckling or pulling-in effect of beams. The energy dissipation from elongation of slab reinforcement and additional resultant moment greatly contribute to the collapse resistance of structures.