Finite Element Analysis of Structural Behavior of Sliding-Type Blast-Resistant Doors Based on Blast Loading Conditions

In current specifications, it is assumed that the structural performance is the same if the same deflection occurs, regardless of the structural characteristics or explosive conditions. However, depending on the structural characteristics and explosion conditions, structural responses may differ. Therefore, flexural deflection and shear need to be considered. In this study, the differences in the structural behaviors of steel-concrete sliding-type blast doors in the impulsive, dynamic, and quasi-static regions were analyzed using the finite element method. The results showed that in the impulsive region and under significant impact forces, shear failure occurred at the initial behavioral step, and the door was more vulnerable to shear than in the dynamic and quasi-static regions. Furthermore, in the impulsive region, a relatively large deformation occurred in the wheel installed on the lower part of the door, affecting functionality, such as opening and closing. Because combined flexural-shear and direct shear failures cause more damage than flexural failure, they must be considered during the design process, and further studies are required to develop a generalized evaluation method and design criteria to reflect the shear effect.

Effects of mortar compressive strength on out of plane response of unreinforced masonry walls

In this study, the out-of-plane response of infill walls that are widely used in Turkey and the surrounding regions were experimentally investigated. Several out-of-plane wall tests were performed in the laboratory, with the walls specimens produced with lateral hollow clay bricks (LHCB) and different mortar qualities. The walls were tested in their out-of-plane (OOP) direction under static load conditions and evaluated based on the load-bearing and energy dissipation capacities, crack propagations, mortar strengths, and initial stiffnesses. These walls are experimentally investigated to understand the effects of the mortar strength on the infill wall structural behaviors and to assess the effectiveness of the out-of-plane strength formulations. It was found that when the mortar strength is low, the first major crack occurs at the mortar, however, because of the arch mechanism efficiency in this situation the OOP load-carrying and energy dissipation capacities of unreinforced walls can be significantly increased. When the first major crack in the wall occurs in the brick itself, the arc mechanism is provided with delicate sections in the brick, which leads to strength decreasing in the walls. In this case, excessive deviations occur in the out-of-plane strength formulations estimates. This study shows that the arc mechanism, the damage start region and progress can change significantly unreinforced masonry (URM) infill walls behaviors.

Can a-C:H-Sputtered Coatings Be Extended to Orthodontics?

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) coatings are attractive materials for protecting metallic surfaces in extreme biological environments like the human oral cavity, due to the unusual combination of mechanical properties, superior bioinertness, and relative easier and cheaper production. In this work, two a-C:H coatings were deposited on AISI 316L substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering with two CH4 flows to assess if this outstanding system could extend its application range to orthodontics. A 30-day immersion test in Fusayama-Meyer artificial saliva was conducted to mimic an extreme acidic intraoral pH. Extracts were quantified and used to perform in vitro assays with mono- and co-cultures of macrophages and fibroblast to assess cell viability, while mechanical and structural behaviors were studied by nanoindentation and visible Raman. The empirically estimated H contents of ~28 and 40 at.% matched the hard and soft a-C:H coating regimes of 18 and 7 GPa, respectively. After immersion, no important structural/mechanical modifications occurred, regardless of the H content, without corrosion signs, delamination, or coating detachment. However, the adhesion-promoting Cr-based interlayer seems to reduce corrosion resistance via galvanic coupling. The highest biocompatibility was found for a-C:H coatings with the lowest H content. This study indicates that sputtered a-C:H are promising surface materials in orthodontics.

Effect of Marine Nuclear Reactor Environment to Ship’s Structural Responses

As the regulations on greenhouse gas emissions at sea become strict, technology development to minimize environmental pollutants emitted from the propulsion system of ships is actively underway. Research on the use of renewable energy as a power source of ships propulsion system pursuing eco-friendliness is continuously carried out. However, considering the recent development of ships’ large-scale, and at the same time minimizing greenhouse gas emissions at sea, the interest in nuclear energy as the means of a stable supply of environmentally friendly large-capacity energy has been increased. In this study, the effect of marine reactor operation on the material properties of a ship hull material is reviewed, and from this, hull structural behaviors are investigated. Attention is paid to the neutron irradiation on the material in the reactor operation environment, and then the strength assessment of a hull structural member assumed in the neutron irradiation situation is performed. Considering the neutron irradiation effects, the Young’s modulus, poisson’s ratio and allowable stress of DH36, typical high tensile strength steel used in ship hull, are varied based on the research findings related with the topic of neutron irradiated steels. Rectangular stiffened plated structures, basic common structural members for ship hull, are exemplified for the strength assessment to understand their structural behaviors such as strength and stiffness. Results from this study provide information on the effect of neutron irradiation on the hull structural behaviors of the ship using nuclear power and possibly can supplement the hull structure part from classification societies’ rules and regulations.

Experimental Investigations on Ultimate Behavior of Fabricated Mobile Scaffolds

A fabricated mobile scaffold has various components, including vertical members, horizontal members, braces, work plates, and castor wheels. In Korea, the structural performance of each member must be validated based on member-level structural safety criteria; this means that rigorous evaluation methods are required to secure the system-level structural safety of the fabricated mobile scaffold. To suggest rational system-level structural safety criteria and effective evaluation methods, the characteristics of the structural behaviors of the assembled structure must be investigated first. Unlike other temporary equipment, it is a product that requires convenience of use and ease of movement. Therefore, to secure the safety and usability of the structure, it is necessary to evaluate the ultimate behavior of a mobile scaffold fabricated with various material and structural types. In an experimental study, the ultimate mode and load-bearing capacity were investigated, and the appropriateness of the required performance of the mobile scaffold was reviewed. Three types of experimental test models with different materials (steel and aluminum) and stories (single-story and three-story erection) were selected and examined for vertical loads. Based on the experimental results, the ultimate behavior characteristics of the fabricated mobile scaffold were analyzed, and the ultimate load was identified.