Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 479-480

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate seismic performance of rehabilitated beam-column joint using FRP sheets and Buckling Restrained Braces (BRBs) and provide test data related to rehabilitated beam-column joints in reinforced concrete structures. The seismic performance of total six beam-column specimens is evaluated under cyclic loadings in terms of shear strength, effective stiffness, energy dissipation and ductility. The test results showed wrapping FRP sheets can contribute to increase the effect of confinement and the crack delay. Also retrofitting buckling restrained braces (BRBs) can improve the stiffness and energy dissipation capacity. Both FRP sheets and BRBs can effectively improve the strength, stiffness and ductility of seismically deficient beam-column joints.

Abstract: The effects of earthquakes can be devastating especially to existing structures that are not based on earthquake resistant design. This study proposes a steel grid shear wall that can provide a sufficient lateral resistance and can be used as a seismic retrofit method. An experiment was performed on reinforced concrete (RC) frames with and without the steel grid shear wall proposed in this study. These frame specimens were subjected to combined axial and cyclic lateral loads that were applied by using two actuators with a maximum capacity of 500 kN and a single actuator with a maximum capacity of 2,000 kN, respectively. The experimental results showed that the RC frame specimen with the proposed shear wall retained high lateral strength and ductility.

Abstract: Taiwan has more than 28,000 bridges. In the past decades, because of scour problems, some bridges collapsed. Such accidents have caused severe economic losses and killed many people. Although Taiwanese government agencies have mitigated the relationship between natural hazards and bridge collapse, the lack of mechanisms for bridge collapse detection and on-site emergency alarms still exists at bridge sites. Therefore, this study proposes a bridge safety monitoring information system. With mixed collapse detectors, this information system could identify the status of various bridge elements in real time. After two-year tests at six bridge sites, this study confirmed that the performance of the bridge safety monitoring information system. Overall, this study helps for similar applications in bridge and disaster management.

Abstract: A new damage assessment method is proposed for aging offshore platforms based on dynamic tests. The stiff nesses of the measured model corresponding to the two measurement moments are estimated by a series of stiffness-correction factors, respectively. Based on these stiffness-correction factors a new damage indicator is defined aiming at reducing influences of existed damages accumulated before the first measurement on damage assessment occurred between the two adjacent measurements. One theoretical improvement is that the requirement using the stiffness matrix of FEM to replace the one of the measured model can be ignored in the calculation of MSE of the measured model. The other development is influences of damages accumulated before the first measurement on damage detection occurs between the two measurements could be reduced greatly, which is very important for aging platforms because these platforms have not been tested aiming at damage detection during their previous service life, especially for most platforms in China. A jacket platform is chosen for numerical studies, and numerical results show that the proposed method could identify damages occurred between the two measurements properly, even including damage severity estimation.

Abstract: In this paper, an extensional item relational structure theory based on the improved nonparametric item response theory is proposed. Item relational structure theory (Takeya, 1991) was developed to detect item relational structures of a group of subjects. The differences of these structures and experts knowledge structures can provide more information for planning remedial instruction, developing instruction materials, or educational researches. In this study, Lius improved nonparametric item response theory ( Liu, 2000, 2013) without the local independence assumption is used to estimate the joint probability of two items, and construct personal item relational structures. A Mathematics example is also provided in this paper to illustrate the advantages of the proposed method

Abstract: This research focuses on matter-element theory and extension method, with help of this method; HOQ of QFD can be built more comprehensively and efficiently. Quality function deployment was designed to improve quality in product development. The major procedure of QFD is to identify the customers needs for the product and then convert into appropriate technical measures to fulfill the needs. According to their characteristics to identify the relevant engineering parameters, the prior engineering parameters will be selected as the key requirements to redesign. This study proposes an innovative design and problem-solving process, based on quality function deployment method with the assistances of extension of matter-element. With the help of extension method, customer requirements (CRs) can be translated into product design attributes more widely and engineering characteristics (ECs) can provide effect assistance for the designer to conceive new products comprehensively and deeply. The proposed design evaluation procedure was developed by integrating weighting coefficients of QFD and optimal criteria of extension method. The innovative design case, wheelchair for the elderly, successfully demonstrates the proposed design approach.

Abstract: This paper discusses the fit between different types of organizational innovation (OI) : administrative innovation (AI) and technical innovation (TI). As different type of innovation requires different organizational skills, resource allocation and environment conditions, there always exists organizational lag, which changes inversely with organization performance (OP). Based on the dimensions of OI from different theories, this paper selected the rate and the speed of innovation to describe organizational lag and proposed organizational lag vector to represent the fit status of innovation. Organizational lag vector has two characteristics: absolute value and direction. After comparing the referential organizations with different OP, the absolute value could be divided into three categories, then combined with four directions of organization lag vector, this paper described 12 types of the fit status of OI as well as some targeted strategies and implicated management practice.

Abstract: This study integrates the forecast capacity and superiority of dynamic simulation of back-propagation network (BPN) and system dynamics, thereby enabling the target industries to formulate coping strategies and to make adjustment in both production capabilities and manpower. The main purpose of this study is to assess and confirm what the most effective policy is for production and human resources. The forecasting result of this study indicates that Correlation and R-squared values reach 0.99852 and 0.994961 respectively after a training of BPN. Certainly, BPN serves as an effective method of forecasting target sales. Finally, the forecast value of the next three years is worked out through situational simulation of complex production models in system dynamics. The final result of this study shows that the optimum manpower should be 10 workers for the years 2011-2013, as well as the projected result will be a rise in production yield of up to 2.54%. It is the most profitable scenario for the company.

Abstract: This study integrates the concept of context-awareness with association algorithms and social media to establish the Context-aware and Social Recommendation System (CASRS). The Simple RSSI Indoor Localization Module (SRILM) locates the user position; integrating SRILM with Apriori Recommendation Module (ARM) provides effective recommended product information. The Social Media Recommendation Module (SMRM) connects to users social relations, so that the effectiveness for users to gain product information is greatly enhanced. This study develops the system based on actual context.