Rigid impacts of three-dimensional rocking structures

Studies of rocking motion aim to explain the remarkable earthquake resistance of rocking structures. State-of-the-art assessment methods are mostly based on planar models, despite ongoing efforts to understand the significance of three-dimensionality. Impacts are essential components of rocking motion. We present experimental measurements of free-rocking blocks on a rigid surface, focusing on extreme sensitivity of impacts to geometric imperfections, unpredictability, and the emergence of three-dimensional motion via spontaneous symmetry breaking. These results inspire the development of new impact models of three-dimensional facet and edge impacts of polyhedral objects. Our model is a natural generalization of existing planar models based on the seminal work of George W. Housner. Model parameters are estimated empirically for rectangular blocks. Finally, new perspectives in earthquake assessment of rocking structures are discussed.

Study on dynamic characteristics of rotor-bearing system under pitching condition

In many cases, ships will encounter special conditions, such as bad sea conditions, and the effect of various disturbance factors, such as wind and waves, will cause low-frequency longitudinal and transverse rocking motion of ships. This would affect the rotor-bearing system of the power plant, which is directly attached to the hull of the ship, and would roll along with the hull in the same longitudinal and transverse motion. This will have a significant impact on the stability of the rotor bearing system of the ship power plant and the safety of the ship. In this paper, a rotor-bearing test rig is mounted on a multi-degree-of-freedom swing test rig simulating sea conditions. The multi-degree-of-freedom rocking test bed simulates sea conditions. The rotor-bearing test bed is equipped with an eddy current sensor and an acceleration sensor to obtain experimental data. The programmable loader is used to control the rotor speed so as to carry out the experiment process at different speeds. Finally, the dynamic characteristics of rotor-bearing system under swinging condition are obtained.

The influence of a rocking-motion device built into classic cross-country roller-ski bindings on biomechanical, physiological and performance outcomes

This study aimed to determine whether the recently developed Flow Motion Technology® roller-ski prototype could improve indicators of performance during sub-maximal and maximal cross-country roller skiing. Thirteen national and international cross-country skiers completed 2 experimental trials: 1 with Flow Motion Technology® activated, allowing a rocking motion between the foot and ski binding, and 1 with the foot fixed in a traditional manner. Each trial included 2 sub-maximal bouts using the diagonal-stride and double-poling sub-techniques, as well as a double-poling maximal velocity test and a diagonal-stride 6-min time trial. There were no differences in performance between Flow Motion Technology® and traditional roller skiing during the maximal velocity test or the time trial. However, reductions in mean plantar force during sub-maximal diagonal stride (p = 0.011) and ankle range of motion during sub-maximal (p = 0.010) and maximal (p = 0.041) diagonal stride were observed with Flow Motion Technology® versus traditional roller skiing. This, together with a reduced minimum horizontal distance of the hips in front of the ankles during sub-maximal double poling (p = 0.001), indicated impaired technique with Flow Motion Technology®, which may have contributed to the trend for reduced gross efficiency during double poling with Flow Motion Technology® (pη2 = 0.214). Significant physiological differences included a reduced sub-maximal double poling respiratory exchange ratio (p = 0.03) and a greater maximal heart rate during the time trial (p = 0.014) with Flow Motion Technology®. We conclude that the application of Flow Motion Technology® requires further examination before use in training and competition.

Motion Model of Spent Fuel Rack Considering Two-dimensional Gap Flow

A free-standing rack system, in which each rack is not fixed to the floor or the wall, is proposed and is in use in European countries and the US as a storage method for spent fuel from nuclear power stations. Although this system can reduce the influence of an earthquake's excitation force by using the frictional force between the rack's bottom surface and the floor surface, together with the fluid force excited by each rack's motion, design guidelines are not yet established. In this research project, to evaluate the fluid force more precisely, the gap between the racks is treated as a two-dimensional gap flow, and the pressure loss coefficient at the flow path junction and the top of the flow path were estimated based on the steady CFD calculation and incorporated into the motion model. Our primary concern in this paper is rocking motion. As a result, we concluded that increasing the pressure loss coefficient at the fuel rack's top suppressed rocking motion.

Fragility functions for local failure mechanisms in unreinforced masonry buildings: a typological study in Ferrara, Italy

Unreinforced masonry buildings undergoing seismic actions often exhibit local failure mechanisms which represent a serious life-safety hazard, as recent strong earthquakes have shown. Compared to new buildings, older unreinforced masonry buildings are more vulnerable, not only because they have been designed without or with limited seismic loading requirements, but also because horizontal structures and connections amid the walls are not always effective. Also, Out-Of-Plane (OOP) mechanisms can be caused by significant slenderness of the walls even if connections are effective. The purpose of this paper is to derive typological fragility functions for unreinforced masonry walls considering OOP local failure mechanisms. In the case of slender walls with good material properties, the OOP response can be modeled with reference to an assembly of rigid bodies undergoing rocking motion. In particular, depending on its configuration, a wall is assumed either as a single rigid body undergoing simple one-sided rocking or a system of two coupled rigid bodies rocking along their common edge. A set of 44 ground motions from earthquake events occurred from 1972 to 2017 in Italy is used in this study. The likelihood of collapse is calculated via Multiple Stripe Analysis (MSA) from a given wall undergoing a specific ground motion. Then, the single fragility functions are suitably combined to define a typological fragility function for a class of buildings. The procedure is applied to a historical aggregate in the city center of Ferrara (Italy) as a case study. The fragility functions developed in this research can be a helpful tool for assessing seismic damage and economic losses in unreinforced masonry buildings on a regional scale.

eIF2B conformation and assembly state regulates the integrated stress response

The integrated stress response (ISR) is activated by phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2 in response to various stress conditions. Phosphorylated eIF2 (eIF2-P) inhibits eIF2's nucleotide exchange factor eIF2B, a two-fold symmetric heterodecamer assembled from subcomplexes. Here, we monitor and manipulate eIF2B assembly in vitro and in vivo. In the absence of eIF2B's α-subunit, the ISR is induced because unassembled eIF2B tetramer subcomplexes accumulate in cells. Upon addition of the small-molecule ISR inhibitor ISRIB, eIF2B tetramers assemble into active octamers. Surprisingly, ISRIB inhibits the ISR even in the context of fully assembled eIF2B decamers, revealing allosteric communication between the physically distant eIF2, eIF2-P, and ISRIB binding sites. Cryo-EM structures suggest a rocking motion in eIF2B that couples these binding sites. eIF2-P binding converts eIF2B decamers into 'conjoined tetramers' with diminished substrate binding and enzymatic activity. Canonical eIF2-P-driven ISR activation thus arises due to this change in eIF2B's conformational state.