• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.257-264
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• 2012

Objectives: This study's aims were to evaluate the effects of load center of gravity within an object lifted and feet placements on peak EMG amplitude acting on bilateral low back muscle groups, and to suggest adequate foot strategies with an aim to reducing low back pain incidence while lifting asymmetric load. Methods: The hypotheses that asymmetric load imposes more peak EMG amplitude on low back muscles contralateral to load center of gravity than symmetric load and maximum peak EMG amplitude out of bilateral ones can be relieved by locating one foot close to load center of gravity in front of the other were established based on biomechanics including safety margin model and previous researches. 11 male subjects were required to lift symmetrically a 15.8kg object during 2sec according to each conditions; symmetric load-parallel feet (SP), asymmetric load-parallel feet (AP), asymmetric load-one foot contralateral to load center of gravity in front of the other (AL), and asymmetric load-one foot ipsilateral to load center of gravity in front of the other (AR). Bilateral longissimus, iliocostalis, and multifidus on right and left low back area were selected as target muscles, and asymmetric load had load center of gravity 10cm deviated to the right from the center in the frontal plane. Results: Greater peak EMG amplitude in left muscle group than in right one was observed due to the effect of load center of gravity, and mean peak EMG amplitudes on both sides was not affected by load center of gravity because of EMG balancing effect. However, the difference of peak EMG amplitudes between both sides was significantly affected by it. Maximum peak EMG amplitude out of both sides and the difference of peak EMG amplitude between both sides could be reduced with keeping one foot ipsilateral to load center of gravity in front of the other while lifting asymmetric load. Conclusions: It was likely that asymmetric load lead to the elevated incidence of low back pain in comparison with symmetric load based on maximum peak EMG amplitude occurrence and greater imbalanced peak EMG amplitude between both sides. Changing feet positions according to the location of load center of gravity was suggested as one intervention able to reduce the low back pain incidence.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.4629-4635
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• 2012

This study was aimed at the relationship between peak EMG amplitude on low back muscles acting on L5/S1 and load center of gravity, trunk lateral bending while lifting an object. Musculoskeletal disorders including low back pain can occur even when handling heavy objects only once as well as when doing non-heavy materials repeatedly. 11 male subjects with average 23 age were required to lift a 15.8kg object symmetrically three times. Peak EMG amplitudes on 6 muscles related with L5/S1 were recorded and analyzed. The lifting conditions consisted of lifting symmetric load with no trunk lateral bending, asymmetric load with no trunk lateral bending, and asymmetric load with trunk lateral bending to the load center of gravity within an object. The results showed that peak EMG amplitude on back muscles contralateral to load center of gravity was observed greater in comparison with the symmetric load. Also, in case of lifting asymmetric load the posture with trunk lateral bending increased peak EMG amplitude on muscles contralateral to load center of gravity more than with no trunk lateral bending. This research can be used as one administrative intervention in order to reduce the low back pain incidence with suggesting workers that they keep the trunk not bending to load center of gravity if possible when lifting a heavy asymmetric object.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.72 no.6
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• pp.775-783
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• 2019

The present study deals with the numerical analysis of the symmetric contact problem of two bonded layers resting on an elastic half plane compressed with a rigid punch. In this context, Finite Element Method (FEM) based software called ANSYS and ABAQUS are used. It is assumed that the elastic layers have different elastic constants and heights and the external load is applied to the upper elastic layer by means of a rigid stamp. The problem is solved under the assumptions that the contact between two elastic layers, and between the rigid stamp are frictionless, the effect of gravity force is neglected. To validate the constructed model and obtained results a comparison is performed with the analytical results in literature. The numerical results for normal stresses and shear stresses are obtained for various parameters of load, material and geometry and are tabulated and illustrated.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.113-122
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• 2018

This study presents a new beam-column model comprising material nonlinearity and joint flexibility to predict the nonlinear response of reinforced concrete structures. The nonlinear behavior of connections has an outstanding role on the nonlinear response of reinforced concrete structures. In presented research, the joint flexibility is considered applying a rotational spring at each end of the member. To derive the moment-rotation behavior of beam-column connections, the relative rotations produced by the relative slip of flexural reinforcement in the joint and the flexural cracking of the beam end are taken into consideration. Furthermore, the considered spread plasticity model, unlike the previous models that have been developed based on the linear moment distribution subjected to lateral loads includes both lateral and gravity load effects, simultaneously. To confirm the accuracy of the proposed methodology, a simply-supported test beam and three reinforced concrete frames are considered. Pushover and nonlinear dynamic analysis of three numerical examples are performed. In these examples the nonlinear behavior of connections and the material nonlinearity using the proposed methodology and also linear flexibility model with different number of elements for each member and fiber based distributed plasticity model with different number of integration points are simulated. Comparing the results of the proposed methodology with those of the aforementioned models describes that suggested model that only uses one element for each member can appropriately estimate the nonlinear behavior of reinforced concrete structures.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.47-67
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• 2014

Due to thermal expansion, the structural behaviour of beams in steel structures subjected to temperature increase will be affected. This may result in the failure of the structural members or connection due to extra internal force in the beam induced by the thermal increase. A method to release some of the thermally generated internal force in the members is to allow for some movements at the end supports of the member. This can be achieved by making the plane of the end-plate of the connection slanted instead of vertical as in conventional design. The present paper discusses the mechanical behaviour of beams with bolted slant end-plate connection under symmetrical gravity loads, subjected to temperature increase. Analyses have been carried out to investigate the reduction in internal force with various angles of slanting, friction factor at the surface of the connection, and allowable temperature increase in the beam. The main conclusion is that higher thermal increase is tolerable when slanting connection is used, which means the risk of failure of structures can be reduced.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.285-296
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• 2011

The plane crack-contact problem for an infinite elastic layer with two symmetric rectangular rigid stamps on its upper and lower surfaces is considered. The elastic layer having an internal crack parallel to its surfaces is subjected to two concentrated loads p on its upper and lower surfaces trough the rigid rectangular stamps and a pair of uniform compressive stress $p_0$ along the crack surface. It is assumed that the contact between the elastic layer and the rigid stamps is frictionless and the effect of the gravity force is neglected. The problem is reduced to a system of singular integral equations in which the derivative of the crack surface displacement and the contact pressures are unknown functions. The system of singular integral equations is solved numerically by making use of an appropriate Gauss-Chebyshev integration formula. Numerical results for stress-intensity factor, critical load factor, $\mathcal{Q}_c$, causing initial closure of the crack tip, the crack surface displacements and the contact stress distribution are presented and shown graphically for various dimensionless quantities.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.205-220
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• 2005

This paper presents the possibilities of adapting artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict the dimensionless parameters related to the maximum contact pressures of an elasticity problem. The plane symmetric double receding contact problem for a rigid stamp and two elastic strips having different elastic constants and heights is considered. The external load is applied to the upper elastic strip by means of a rigid stamp and the lower elastic strip is bonded to a rigid support. The problem is solved under the assumptions that the contact between two elastic strips also between the rigid stamp and the upper elastic strip are frictionless, the effect of gravity force is neglected and only compressive normal tractions can be transmitted through the interfaces. A three layered ANN with backpropagation (BP) algorithm is utilized for prediction of the dimensionless parameters related to the maximum contact pressures. Training and testing patterns are formed by using the theory of elasticity with integral transformation technique. ANN predictions and theoretical solutions are compared and seen that ANN predictions are quite close to the theoretical solutions. It is demonstrated that ANNs is a suitable numerical tool and if properly used, can reduce time consumed.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.284-288
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• 2003

This study was investigated the nondestructive characteristics of the damage caused by low-velocity impact on symmetric cross-ply laminates. These laminates were $[0^{\circ}/90^{\circ}]{_{16s,}}\;{_{24s,}}\;{_{32s,}}\;{_{48s}}$, that is, the thickness was 2, 3, 4 and 6 mm. The impact machine, model 8250 Dynatup Instron, was used a drop-weight type with gravity. The impact velocities used in experiment were 0.75, 0.90, 1.05, 1.20 and 1.35 m/sec. The load and deformation were increased as impact velocity increase. Even if the load increased with laminates thickness in same impact velocity, the deformation decreased. The extensional velocity was a quick as laminate thickness increase in same impact velocity and as impact velocity increase in same laminate thickness. In ultrasonic scans, damaged area was represented an dimmed zone. This is due to the fact that the wave, after having been partially reflected by the defects, has not enough energy to tough the oposite side or to come back from it. The damaged laminate areas were different according to the laminate thickness and the impact velocity. The extensional velocities became lower in if direction and higher in $0^{\circ}$ direction when the size of the defects increases. But, it was difficult to draw any conclusion for the extensional velocities in $45^{\circ}$ direction.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.19 no.1 s.62
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• pp.39-43
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• 2005

The study investigated the nondestructive characteristics of damage, caused by law-velocity impact, on symmetric cross-ply laminates, composed of [0o/90o]16s, 24s, 32s, 48s. The thickness of the laminates was 2, 3, 4 and 6 mm, respectively. The impact machine used, Model 8250 Dynatup Instron, was a drop-weight type that employed gravity. The impact velocities used in this experiment were 0.75, 0.90, 1.05, 1.20 and 1.35 m/sec, respectively. Both the load and the deformation increased when the impact velocity was increased. Further, when the load increased with the laminate thickness in the same impact velocity, the deformation still decreased. The extensional velocity was quick, as the laminate thickness increased in the same impact velocity and the impact velocity increased in the same laminate thickness. In the ultrasonic scans, the damaged area represented a dimmed zone. This is due to the fact that the wave, after the partial reflection by the deflects, does not have enough energy to touch the opposite side or to come back from it. The damaged laminate areas differed, according to the laminate thickness and the impact velocity. The extensional velocities are lower in the 0o direction and higher in the 90o direction, when the size of the defect increases. However, it was difficult to draw any conclusion for the extensional velocities in the 45o direction.