Effects of Resistance Training With Constant, Inertial, and Combined Loads on Muscle Power and Strength Output

The aim of this study was to investigate the resistance-specific gains in muscle power and strength (1RM) following the training of maximum bench-press throws (BPT) against constant, inertial, and combined resistance. Forty-eight male participants (age 20.5 ± 2.0 years) were randomly assigned to the constant, inertial, combined resistance, or control group. Participants underwent 8 weeks of training of BPT against the loads that corresponded to the different effects of mass of 40 kg (∼50% of 1RM). The gains in average and maximum power, and 1RM were significant in all experimental groups (P < 0.01), but not in the control group (P > 0.1). Relative gains in the average (26.3 ± 9.8%) and maximum power (25.2 ± 9.8%) were larger than that in the 1RM (mean 7.2 ± 6.9%; both P < 0.001). The gains in the average (F4, 66 = 6.0; P < 0.01) and maximum power (F4, 66 = 4.7; P < 0.01) were higher when tested against the training-specific resistance than when tested against the remaining two resistance types. Differences in 1RM among experimental groups were not significant (P = 0.092). The most important and rather novel finding of the study is that the training against the weight and inertial resistance, and their combination results in resistance-specific gains in muscle power, although the overall gains muscle strength and power remain comparable across the training protocols.

Interaction Assessment of Diagonally-Spaced Identical Corrosion Defects and Fully-Aligned Unequal-Sized Corrosion Defects Under Combined Loads

In this study, the interaction effects of closely-spaced corrosion defects on the burst capacity of oil and gas pipelines under combined internal pressure and longitudinal compression are investigated by using parametric three-dimensional elasto-plastic finite element analyses. Full-scale burst tests reported in the literature are used to validate the finite element model. It is observed that the interaction effects of diagonally-spaced defects on the burst capacity is strongly related to the overlapping portion of the defect width or circumferential spacing between the two defects. The analysis results indicate that the strongest interaction between diagonally-spaced defects under combined loads occurs if the defects have zero circumferential separation. The interaction weakens as the defects are more and more overlapped or separated circumferentially. It is also observed that the interaction effect associated with longitudinally- or circumferentially-aligned, unequal-sized corrosion defects is negligible under the internal pressure only or combined loads.

STRUCTURAL CAPACITY OF NSM STEEL BARS STRENGTHENED DEEP BEAMS UNDER COMBINED LOADS OF REPEATED AND ELEVATED TEMPERATURE

The current experimental investigation is devoted to study the structural capacity of near-surface mounted steel bars strengthened deep beams. Six reinforced SCC deep beam specimens with a dimension of 1400mm x175mm x350mm were tested under Combined Loads of Repeated and Elevated Temperature. The adopted variable includes the type of loading, degree of elevated temperature, and presence or absence of the strengthening by NSM-steel bars. The experimental results show that the ultimate load of B2-R-T20 decreased by about 33% when the applied load changed from monotonic to repeated; also, when the degree of burning increased to (200oC) and (350oC), the ultimate load decreased by 44% and 65% , respectively. The presence of the strengthened NSM-steel bars leads to increase the lateral strength of the tested beams and arrested the diagonal cracks to be widening as a result, the ultimate load capacity increases by (193%-197%) for the samples exposed to elevated temperature, in comparison with reference beams. The adopted strengthened technique proved to be adequate to restore and increase the shear capacity of the tested beams.

Safety Evaluation of the Combined Load for Offshore Wind Turbine Suction Foundation Installed on Sandy Soil

Offshore wind turbine (OWT) receive a combined vertical-horizontal- moment load by wind, waves, and the structure’s own weight. In this study, the bearing capacity for the combined load of the suction foundation of OWT installed on the sandy soil was calculated by finite element analysis. In addition, the stress state of the soil around the suction foundation was analyzed in detail under the condition that a combined load was applied. Based on the results of the analyses, new equations are proposed to calculate the horizontal and moment bearing capacities as well as to define the capacity envelopes under general combined loads.