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Article
Publication date: 24 July 2024

Hui-Zhong Xiong, Xin Yang, Yong-Nan He and Yong Huang

This paper aims to optimize cable-stayed force in asymmetric one-tower cable-stayed bridge formation using an improved particle swarm algorithm. It compares results with the…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to optimize cable-stayed force in asymmetric one-tower cable-stayed bridge formation using an improved particle swarm algorithm. It compares results with the traditional unconstrained minimum bending energy method.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes an improved particle swarm algorithm to optimize cable-stayed force in bridge formation. It formulates a quadratic programming mathematical model considering the sum of bending energies of the main girder and bridge tower as the objective function. Constraints include displacements, stresses, cable-stayed force, and uniformity. The algorithm is applied to optimize the formation of an asymmetrical single-tower cable-stayed bridge, combining it with the finite element method.

Findings

The study’s findings reveal significant improvements over the minimum bending energy method. Results show that the structural displacement and internal force are within constraints, the maximum bending moment of the main girder decreases, resulting in smoother linear shape and more even internal force distribution. Additionally, the tower top offset decreases, and the bending moment change at the tower-beam junction is reduced. Moreover, diagonal cable force and cable force increase uniformly with cable length growth.

Originality/value

The improved particle swarm algorithm offers simplicity, effectiveness, and practicality in optimizing bridge-forming cable-staying force. It eliminates the need for arbitrary manual cable adjustments seen in traditional methods and effectively addresses the optimization challenge in asymmetric cable-stayed bridges.

Details

International Journal of Structural Integrity, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9864

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 September 2024

Ziwang Xiao, Fengxian Zhu, Lifeng Wang, Rongkun Liu and Fei Yu

As an important load-bearing component of cable-stayed bridge, the cable-stayed cable is an important load-bearing link for the bridge superstructure and the load transferred…

Abstract

Purpose

As an important load-bearing component of cable-stayed bridge, the cable-stayed cable is an important load-bearing link for the bridge superstructure and the load transferred directly to the bridge tower. In order to better manage the risk of the cable system in the construction process, the purpose of this paper is to study a new method of dynamic risk analysis of the cable system of the suspended multi-tower cable-stayed bridge based on the Bayesian network.

Design/methodology/approach

First of all, this paper focuses on the whole process of the construction of the cable system, analyzes the construction characteristics of each process, identifies the safety risk factors in the construction process of the cable system, and determines the causal relationship between the risk factors. Secondly, the prior probability distribution of risk factors is determined by the expert investigation method, and the risk matrix method is used to evaluate the safety risk of cable failure quantitatively. The function expression of risk matrix is established by combining the probability of risk event occurrence and loss level. After that, the topology structure of Bayesian network is established, risk factors and probability parameters are incorporated into the network and then the Bayesian principle is applied to update the posterior probability of risk events according to the new information in the construction process. Finally, the construction reliability evaluation of PAIRA bridge main bridge cable system in Bangladesh is taken as an example to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the new method.

Findings

The feasibility of using Bayesian network to dynamically assess the safety risk of PAIRA bridge in Bangladesh is verified by the construction reliability evaluation of the main bridge cable system. The research results show that the probability of the accident resulting from the insufficient safety of the cable components of the main bridge of PAIRA bridge is 0.02, which belongs to a very small range. According to the analysis of the risk grade matrix, the risk grade is Ⅱ, which belongs to the acceptable risk range. In addition, according to the reverse reasoning of the Bayesian model, when the serious failure of the cable system is certain to occur, the node with the greatest impact is B3 (cable break) and its probability of occurrence is 82%, that is, cable break is an important reason for the serious failure of the cable system. The factor that has the greatest influence on B3 node is C6 (cable quality), and its probability is 34%, that is, cable quality is not satisfied is the main reason for cable fracture. In the same way, it can be obtained that the D9 (steel wire fracture inside the cable) event of the next level is the biggest incentive of C6 event, its occurrence probability is 32% and E7 (steel strand strength is not up to standard) event is the biggest incentive of D9 event, its occurrence probability is 13%. At the same time, the sensitivity analysis also confirmed that B3, C6, D9 and E7 risk factors were the main causes of risk occurrence.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a Bayesian network-based construction reliability assessment method for cable-stayed bridge cable system. The core purpose of this method is to achieve comprehensive and accurate management and control of the risks in the construction process of the cable system, so as to improve the service life of the cable while strengthening the overall reliability of the structure. Compared with the existing evaluation methods, the proposed method has higher reliability and accuracy. This method can effectively assess the risk of the cable system in the construction process, and is innovative in the field of risk assessment of the cable system of cable-stayed bridge construction, enriching the scientific research achievements in this field, and providing strong support for the construction risk control of the cable system of cable-stayed bridge.

Details

International Journal of Structural Integrity, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9864

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 May 2024

Mohsin Iqbal, Saravanan Karuppanan, Veeradasan Perumal, Mark Ovinis, Muhammad Iqbal and Adnan Rasul

Composite materials are effective alternatives for rehabilitating critical members of offshore platforms, bridges, and other structures. The structural response of composite…

Abstract

Purpose

Composite materials are effective alternatives for rehabilitating critical members of offshore platforms, bridges, and other structures. The structural response of composite reinforcement greatly depends on the orientation of fibres in the composite material. Joints are the most critical part of tubular structures. Various existing studies have identified optimal reinforcement orientations for a single load component, but none has addressed the combined load case, even though most practical loads are multiplanar.

Design/methodology/approach

This study investigates the optimal orientation of composite reinforcement for reducing stress concentration factors (SCF) of tubular KT-joints. The joint reinforcement was modelled and simulated using ANSYS. A parametric study was carried out to determine the effect of the orientations of reinforcement in the interface region on SCF at every 15° offset along the weld toe using linear extrapolation of principal stresses. The impact of orientation for uniplanar and multiplanar loads was investigated, and a general result about optimum orientation was inferred.

Findings

It was found that the maximum decrease of SCF is achieved by orienting the fibres of composite reinforcement along the maximum SCF. Notably, the optimal direction for any load configuration was consistently orthogonal to the weld toe of the chord-brace interface. As such, unidirectional composites wrapped around the brace axis, covering both sides of the brace-chord interface, are most effective for SCF reduction.

Originality/value

The findings of this study are crucial for adequate reinforcement of tubular joints using composites, offering a broader and universally applicable optimum orientation that transcends specific joint and load configuration.

Details

International Journal of Structural Integrity, vol. 15 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9864

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 September 2024

Chunliang Niu, BingZhuo Liu, Chunfei Bai, Liming Guo, Lei Chen and Jiwu Tang

In order to improve the efficiency and reliability of simulation analysis for composite riveting structures in engineering products, a comparative study was conducted on different…

Abstract

Purpose

In order to improve the efficiency and reliability of simulation analysis for composite riveting structures in engineering products, a comparative study was conducted on different forms of riveting simulation methods.

Design/methodology/approach

Five different rivent simulation models were established using the finite element method, including rigid element CE, flexible element Rbe3 and beam element, and their results were future compared and analyzed.

Findings

Under the given technical parameters, the simulation method of Rbe3 (with holes) + beam can meet the analysis requirements of complex engineering products in terms of the rationality of rivet load distribution, calculation error and relatively efficient modeling.

Originality/value

This study proposes a simulation method for the riveting structure of carbon fiber composite materials for engineering applications. This method can satisfy the simulation analysis requirements of transportation vehicles in terms of modeling time, computational efficiency and accuracy. The research can provide technical support for the riveting process and mechanical analysis between carbon fiber composite components in transportation products.

Details

International Journal of Structural Integrity, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9864

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 September 2024

Pranay Vaggu and S.K. Panigrahi

The effect of spinning has been studied and analysed for different projectile shapes such as ogive, blunt, cylindrical and conical by using numerical simulations.

Abstract

Purpose

The effect of spinning has been studied and analysed for different projectile shapes such as ogive, blunt, cylindrical and conical by using numerical simulations.

Design/methodology/approach

Projectile shape is one of the important parameters in the penetration mechanism. The present study deals with the failure mechanisms and ballistic evaluation for different nose-shaped projectiles undergoing normal impact with spinning. Materials characterization has been made by Johnson–Cook strength and failure models, and LS-DYNA simulations are used to analyse the impact of steel projectiles on an Al 7075-T651 target at different impact velocities under normal impact conditions. The experimental results from the literature are used to validate the model. Based on the residual velocity values, the Recht-Ipson model has been curve-fitted and approximate ballistic limit velocity has been evaluated. The approximated ballistic limit velocity is found to be 3.4% higher than the experimental results and compared well with the experimental results. Subsequently, the validated model conditions are used to study and analyse the effect of spinning for different nose-shaped projectiles undergoing normal impact conditions.

Findings

The ductile hole failure is observed for the ogive nose projectile, petals are formed and fragmented for the conical projectile, and plugging is observed for cylindrical projectiles. A Recht-Ipson curve is presented for each spinning condition for each projectile shape and the ballistic limit has been evaluated for each condition.

Originality/value

The proposed research outputs are original and innovative and, have a lot of importance in defence applications, particularly in arms and ammunition.

Details

International Journal of Structural Integrity, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9864

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 September 2024

Ali Doostvandi, Mohammad HajiAzizi and Fatemeh Pariafsai

This study aims to use regression Least-Square Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM) as a probabilistic model to determine the factor of safety (FS) and probability of failure (PF) of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to use regression Least-Square Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM) as a probabilistic model to determine the factor of safety (FS) and probability of failure (PF) of anisotropic soil slopes.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses machine learning (ML) techniques to predict soil slope failure. Due to the lack of analytical solutions for measuring FS and PF, it is more convenient to use surrogate models like probabilistic modeling, which is suitable for performing repetitive calculations to compute the effect of uncertainty on the anisotropic soil slope stability. The study first uses the Limit Equilibrium Method (LEM) based on a probabilistic evaluation over the Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) technique for two anisotropic soil slope profiles to assess FS and PF. Then, using one of the supervised methods of ML named LS-SVM, the outcomes (FS and PF) were compared to evaluate the efficiency of the LS-SVM method in predicting the stability of such complex soil slope profiles.

Findings

This method increases the computational performance of low-probability analysis significantly. The compared results by FS-PF plots show that the proposed method is valuable for analyzing complex slopes under different probabilistic distributions. Accordingly, to obtain a precise estimate of slope stability, all layers must be included in the probabilistic modeling in the LS-SVM method.

Originality/value

Combining LS-SVM and LEM offers a unique and innovative approach to address the anisotropic behavior of soil slope stability analysis. The initiative part of this paper is to evaluate the stability of an anisotropic soil slope based on one ML method, the Least-Square Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM). The soil slope is defined as complex because there are uncertainties in the slope profile characteristics transformed to LS-SVM. Consequently, several input parameters are effective in finding FS and PF as output parameters.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 September 2024

V. Sreekanth, E.G. Kavilal, Sanu Krishna and Nidhun Mohan

This paper aims to highlight how the six sigma methods helped the medical equipment manufacturing company in finding and analysing the root causes that lead to the reduction in…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight how the six sigma methods helped the medical equipment manufacturing company in finding and analysing the root causes that lead to the reduction in production rate, rejection rates, quality and other major causes that lead to the reduction in productivity of the blood bags manufacturing unit.

Design/methodology/approach

Given the critical nature of blood bag manufacturing Six Sigma was chosen as the primary methodology for this research since Six Sigma’s data-driven approach provides a structured framework to identify, analyse and rectify inefficiencies in the production processes. This study proposes the Six Sigma DMAIC (D-Define, M-Measure, A-Analyse, I-Improve, C-Control) encompassing rigorous problem definition, precise measurement, thorough analysis, improvement and vigilant control mechanisms for effectively attaining predetermined objectives.

Findings

The paper demonstrates how the Six Sigma principles were executed in a blood bag manufacturing unit. After a detailed and thorough data analysis, it was found that a total of 40 critical-to-quality factors under the five drivers such as Machine, Components, Inspection and Testing, People and Workspace were influential factors affecting the manufacturing of blood bags. From the study, it is identified that the drivers such as inspection and testing, components and machines contribute significantly to increasing productivity.

Research limitations/implications

The paper offers valuable strategic insights into implementing Six Sigma methodologies within the specific context of a blood bag manufacturing unit. The Six Sigma tools and techniques used by the project team to solve issues within the blood bag manufacturing unit can be used for similar healthcare organizations to successfully deploy Six Sigma. The insights from this research might not be directly applicable to other manufacturing facilities or industries but can be used as a guiding reference for researchers and managers.

Originality/value

The current state of scholarly literature indicates a significant absence in the examination of Six Sigma methodologies designed specifically to improve production output in healthcare equipment manufacturing. This paper highlights the application of Six Sigma principles to enhance efficiency in the specific context of blood bag manufacturing.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 August 2024

Keyi Fang, Xiaobo Wu, Weiqi Zhang and Linan Lei

This article aims to unfold digital servitization by exploring the key resources and resource orchestration (i.e. resource configuration and interaction).

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to unfold digital servitization by exploring the key resources and resource orchestration (i.e. resource configuration and interaction).

Design/methodology/approach

This article conducted an explorative two-stage research strategy of Chinese servitized manufacturers using a preliminary case study and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) design. The data collection was conducted between 2016 and 2021.

Findings

This article identifies five key resources – radical, complex technological resources, complementary, specific market resources and digital resources – and their configurations – leveraging market opportunities, leveraging innovation integration and leveraging resource advantages – to facilitate servitization in the digital age. The findings underscore the interaction between technological and market resources as well as the role of digital resources in promoting the servitization journey.

Originality/value

This article contributes to the understanding of servitization in the digital context by examining the key resources and their interactions involved. It builds upon the configurational logic of servitization, expanding the existing framework in the digital context and highlighting the significance of technological and market resource orchestration and interaction in servitization research. Moreover, the paper contributes through its exploratory two-stage approach, going beyond a conceptual understanding of servitization by focusing on both the factors that enable servitization (WHAT) and the configurations that lead to servitization (HOW). Additionally, the article investigates the attributes of resources as lower-level components, addressing the need to explore the micro-level practice of resource realignment. By providing clarity on the configurations of servitization, the paper offers practical guidelines for practitioners on how to effectively utilize resources and benefit from digital servitization.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 July 2024

Yunshuo Dong, Taiwen Feng and Hongyan Sheng

Business model design (BMD) is essential for firms to interact with stakeholders and gain competitive advantages in a changeable business environment. The advances in digital…

Abstract

Purpose

Business model design (BMD) is essential for firms to interact with stakeholders and gain competitive advantages in a changeable business environment. The advances in digital technologies create plenty of opportunities for the transformation of BMD. However, the effect of digital-based BMD on firm performance and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Based on dynamic capability theory, this paper aims to introduce a framework elaborating on how digital-based novelty- and efficiency-centered BMD impact firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the hypotheses, the authors collect data from 277 Chinese manufacturing firms and use hierarchical regression analysis to process the data.

Findings

The results indicate that ambidextrous innovation partially mediates the impacts of digital-based novelty- and efficiency-centered BMD on firm performance. Interorganizational learning only strengthens the impact of digital-based efficiency-centered BMD on ambidextrous innovation.

Originality/value

This study reveals the impacts of two distinct digital-based BMD on firm performance and uncovers the underlying mechanisms, which enrich the BMD literature and provide a deeper understanding of B2B marketing.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 June 2024

Debasis Jana, Suprakash Gupta, Deepak Kumar and Sukomal Pal

Reliability study plays a significant role in supporting the operation of any machinery working in a dynamic and harsh environment. This quality is inherently uncertain and a…

Abstract

Purpose

Reliability study plays a significant role in supporting the operation of any machinery working in a dynamic and harsh environment. This quality is inherently uncertain and a stochastic variable of any system. This study will be beneficial for designing an appropriate maintenance schedule, reducing unplanned production downtime and reducing maintenance cost of electrical motor operated particularly in dynamic and harsh environmental industries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study focused on the effects of operating conditions (OCs) on the operational reliability and remaining useful life (RUL) of machinery. A probabilistic graphical method called Bayesian network (BN) was used for studying the effect of OCs on the system performance. The developed methodology has been demonstrated by analyzing the operational reliability and predicting the RUL of electrical motors operated in a heavy mining machinery.

Findings

The failure probabilities estimated from the historical data of the motor system are failure likelihood, and OCs are the evidence in the developed BN model. It has been observed that the performance and RUL of the motor are significantly influenced by OCs and maintenance. A threshold value of reliability at which the motor system requires maintenance or replacement has been proposed to guide management in decision making.

Originality/value

The Bayesian approach for studying the covariate of motor reliability and RUL estimation is a novel approach. This study will be beneficial for designing an appropriate maintenance schedule, reducing unplanned production downtime and reducing maintenance cost of electrical motor operated particularly in dynamic and harsh environmental industries.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

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