Search results for "Structural engineering"
showing 10 items of 1998 documents
Entrapment of adult fingers between window glass and seal entry of a motor vehicle side door: an experimental study for investigation of the force at…
2011
In modern motor vehicles with automatic power windows, a potential hazard exists for jam events of fingers between the window glass and seal entry. This study determined entrapment forces acting on adult fingers at the subjective maximum pain threshold during entrapment in such windows. The length and the girth of the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of the triphalangeal fingers of the right hands of 109 participants (60 men, 49 women) were measured; the diameter was calculated from girth, which was assumed to be circular. The automatic power window system of a motor vehicle side door was changed to a mechanical system. During entrapment the force distributed across the four proxi…
Distinct muscle-tendon interaction during running at different speeds and in different loading conditions.
2019
The interaction between the Achilles tendon and the triceps surae muscles seems to be modulated differently with various task configurations. Here we tested the hypothesis that the increased forces and ankle joint work during running under contrasting conditions (altered speed or load) would be met by different, time-dependent adjustments at the muscle-tendon level. Ultrasonography, electromyography, kinematics, and ground reaction force measurements were used to examine Achilles tendon, gastrocnemius, and soleus muscle mechanics in 16 runners in four different running conditions, consisting of a combination of two different speeds (preferred and +20% of preferred speed) and two loading co…
Tap water consumers differ from non-consumers in chlorine flavor acceptability but not sensitivity
2010
International audience; Unpleasant taste and especially chlorine flavor is one of the most common reasons advocated for choosing tap water alternatives as drinking water. As a consequence, the putative link between sensitivity to chlorine flavor and tap water consumption is an issue in drinking water habits studies. In the present study, we set out to examine such a link following a strategy in which we measured chlorine flavor perception at threshold and supra-threshold level for two groups of participants selected on their drinking water consumption habits. The first group included exclusive tap water consumers and the second group included exclusive bottled water consumers. In a first ex…
Acute effects of shock-type vibration transmitted to the hand-arm system.
1984
The aim of the project was to find out whether shock-type vibration of hand-tools compared to non-impulsive vibration has stronger acute effects on the hand-arm system and therefore needs a stricter evaluation from the occupational health point of view in comparison with the requirements of the Draft International Standard ISO-DIS 5349. Under laboratory conditions, subjects were exposed to simulated vibration of hand-tools (grinder, chain saw, hammer-drill, pneumatic hammer, rivet hammer and nailer). The following evaluation criteria were used: biomechanical transmissibility of the hand-arm system (wrist, elbow joint, shoulder joint); muscle-activity (m. flexor carpi ulnaris, m. biceps, m. …
Running in highly cushioned shoes increases leg stiffness and amplifies impact loading
2018
AbstractRunning shoe cushioning has become a standard method for managing impact loading and consequent injuries due to running. However, despite decades of shoe technology developments and the fact that shoes have become increasingly cushioned, aimed to ease the impact on runners’ legs, running injuries have not decreased. To better understand the shoe cushioning paradox, we examined impact loading and the spring-like mechanics of running in a conventional control running shoe and a highly cushioned maximalist shoe at two training speeds, 10 and 14.5 km/h. We found that highly cushioned maximalist shoes alter spring-like running mechanics and amplify rather than attenuate impact loading. T…
On reliability of systems with moving material subjected to fracture and instability
2015
Abstract The reliability of systems with moving cracked elastic and isotropic material is considered. The material is modeled as a moving plate which continually has a crack on the edge. The plate is subjected to homogeneous tension acting in the traveling direction and the tension varies temporally around a constant value, the set tension. The tension and the length of the crack are modeled by an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process and an exponential Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process, respectively. Failure is regarded as the state at which the plate becomes unstable or fractures (or both) and a lower bound for the reliability of the system is derived. Considering reliability of the system leads to first p…
Stochastic analysis of the critical velocity of an axially moving cracked elastic plate
2014
In this study, a probabilistic analysis of the critical velocity for an axially moving cracked elastic and isotropic plate is presented. Axially moving materials are commonly used in modelling of manufacturing processes, like paper making and plastic forming. In such systems, the most serious threats to runnability are instability and material fracture, and finding the critical value of velocity is essential for efficiency. In this paper, a formula for the critical velocity is derived under constraints for the probabilities of instability and fracture. The significance of randomness in different model parameters is investigated for parameter ranges typical of paper material and paper machin…
An agent-based model to support the preliminary design and operation of heating and power grids with cogeneration units and photovoltaic panels in de…
2022
The increase in the energy demands of residential neighborhoods constitutes a huge challenge to be faced. A viable option lies in the insertion of both renewable energy production systems and cogeneration units within urban territories. On-site production allows for the satisfaction of the heating and electrical demands of end-users and favors the distribution of produced energy within the neighborhood, especially under the regulatory framework of energy communities. This paper proposes a tool to model heating and electricity networks integrated with cogeneration units and PV panels installed in urban areas. The tool accounts for the following possibilities: (i) energy flow management and p…
Towards a new mix design method for asphalt mixtures containing rap
2016
Recycling is one of the most important aspects to conceive the new construction or rehabilitation of sustainable road infrastructures. Even if Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is commonly used in the practice, its presence may lead to some critical aspects due to the physical and chemical phenomena occurring during the new mix process. For instance, the formation of RAP clusters during a new mix may inhibit the uniform distribution of the virgin binder as well as cause changes in the design grading curve of the mixture. Indeed, laboratory results demonstrate that small-size RAP particles stick together forming clusters. The amount of clusters depends on different parameters observed: The pe…
Effects of Air Tightness Tests on Steel Thin-Wall Box Structures with Circular and Rectangular Cross Sections
2019
In this paper, the effects of air tightness tests on steel box structures with rectangular or circular cross sections typical of port cranes (legs, arms, and crosspieces) are analyzed. Legs and arms are generally made with elements with profiles having a square or rectangular cross section, while the diagonal struts are made with profiles having circular cross sections. To verify the air tightness of these elements, a necessary requirement to protect them from corrosion if they are not protected with other protection techniques, air tightness tests are performed. These tests, in the framework of durability tests, must be carried out while maintaining the structure elasticity well below the …