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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 31 October 2023

Hongping Xing, Yu Liu and Xiaodan Sun

The smoothness of the high-speed railway (HSR) on the bridge may exceed the allowable standard when an earthquake causes vibrations for HSR bridges, which may threaten the safety…

Abstract

Purpose

The smoothness of the high-speed railway (HSR) on the bridge may exceed the allowable standard when an earthquake causes vibrations for HSR bridges, which may threaten the safety of running trains. Indeed, few studies have evaluated the exceeding probability of rail displacement exceeding the allowable standard. The purposes of this article are to provide a method for investigating the exceeding probability of the rail displacement of HSRs under seismic excitation and to calculate the exceeding probability.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to investigate the exceeding probability of the rail displacement under different seismic excitations, the workflow of analyzing the smoothness of the rail based on incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) is proposed, and the intensity measure and limit state for the exceeding probability analysis of HSRs are defined. Then a finite element model (FEM) of an assumed HSR track-bridge system is constructed, which comprises a five-span simply-supported girder bridge supporting a finite length CRTS II ballastless track. Under different seismic excitations, the seismic displacement response of the rail is calculated; the character of the rail displacement is analyzed; and the exceeding probability of the rail vertical displacement exceeding the allowable standard (2mm) is investigated.

Findings

The results show that: (1) The bridge-abutment joint position may form a step-like under seismic excitation, threatening the running safety of high-speed trains under seismic excitations, and the rail displacements at mid-span positions are bigger than that at other positions on the bridge. (2) The exceeding probability of rail displacement is up to about 44% when PGA = 0.01g, which is the level-five risk probability and can be described as 'very likely to happen'. (3) The exceeding probability of the rail at the mid-span positions is bigger than that above other positions of the bridge, and the mid-span positions of the track-bridge system above the bridge may be the most hazardous area for the running safety of trains under seismic excitation when high-speed trains run on bridges.

Originality/value

The work extends the seismic hazardous analysis of HSRs and would lead to a better understanding of the exceeding probability for the rail of HSRs under seismic excitations and better references for the alert of the HSR operation.

Article
Publication date: 18 December 2023

Shian Li, Yuanzhe Cheng, Qiuwan Shen, Chongyang Wang, Chengdong Peng and Guogang Yang

The purpose of this study is to improve the thermal management of lithium-ion batteries. The phase change material (PCM) cooling does not require additional equipment to consume…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to improve the thermal management of lithium-ion batteries. The phase change material (PCM) cooling does not require additional equipment to consume energy. To improve the heat dissipation capacity of batteries, fins are added in the PCM to enhance the heat transfer process.

Design/methodology/approach

Computational fluid dynamics method is used to study the influence of number of vertical fins and ring fins (i.e. 2, 4, 6 and 8 vertical fins, and 2, 3, 4 and 5 ring fins) and the combination of them on the cooling performance.

Findings

The battery maximum temperature can be decreased by the PCM with vertical or ring fins, and it can be further decreased by the combination of them. The PCM with eight vertical fins and five ring fins reduces the battery maximum temperature by 5.21 K. In addition, the temperature and liquid-phase distributions of the battery and PCM are affected by the design of the cooling system.

Practical implications

This work can provide guidelines for the development of new and efficient PCM cooling systems for lithium-ion batteries.

Originality/value

The combination of PCM and fins can be used to reduce the battery maximum temperature and temperature difference.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 34 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 August 2023

MohammedShakil S. Malek and Viral Bhatt

Managing mega infrastructure projects (MIPs) is more complex because of time, size, social, environmental and financial implications. This study aims to address the management…

Abstract

Purpose

Managing mega infrastructure projects (MIPs) is more complex because of time, size, social, environmental and financial implications. This study aims to address the management approaches, complexity and risk factors involved in MIPs. The study focuses on project success criteria and their individual effects on the success of MIPs.

Design/methodology/approach

To address the challenges and identify the most influencing factor for the success of MIPs, the study deployed a cross-sectional survey approach. Six hundred eighty-two usable samples were collected from the respondents to understand the impact of predetermined factors on the success of MIPs. The structural equation model and artificial neural network approach were used to derive the importance of factors affecting the success of MIPs.

Findings

The study's outcome confirms that all three influencing factors: feasibility studies, community engagements and contract selection, have a significant positive impact on the success of MIPs. Community engagement amongst all three has the most influential predictor for the success of MIPs.

Originality/value

The developed model will enable practitioners and policymakers from Indian construction companies and other emerging nations to concentrate on recognized risk reduction variables to enhance project success criteria and project management success, especially for MIPs.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 February 2024

Chengpeng Zhang, Zhihua Yu, Jimin Shi, Yu Li, Wenqiang Xu, Zheyi Guo, Hongshi Zhang, Zhongyuan Zhu and Sheng Qiang

Hexahedral meshing is one of the most important steps in performing an accurate simulation using the finite element analysis (FEA). However, the current hexahedral meshing method…

Abstract

Purpose

Hexahedral meshing is one of the most important steps in performing an accurate simulation using the finite element analysis (FEA). However, the current hexahedral meshing method in the industry is a nonautomatic and inefficient method, i.e. manually decomposing the model into suitable blocks and obtaining the hexahedral mesh from these blocks by mapping or sweeping algorithms. The purpose of this paper is to propose an almost automatic decomposition algorithm based on the 3D frame field and model features to replace the traditional time-consuming and laborious manual decomposition method.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed algorithm is based on the 3D frame field and features, where features are used to construct feature-cutting surfaces and the 3D frame field is used to construct singular-cutting surfaces. The feature-cutting surfaces constructed from concave features first reduce the complexity of the model and decompose it into some coarse blocks. Then, an improved 3D frame field algorithm is performed on these coarse blocks to extract the singular structure and construct singular-cutting surfaces to further decompose the coarse blocks. In most modeling examples, the proposed algorithm uses both types of cutting surfaces to decompose models fully automatically. In a few examples with special requirements for hexahedral meshes, the algorithm requires manual input of some user-defined cutting surfaces and constructs different singular-cutting surfaces to ensure the effectiveness of the decomposition.

Findings

Benefiting from the feature decomposition and the 3D frame field algorithm, the output blocks of the proposed algorithm have no inner singular structure and are suitable for the mapping or sweeping algorithm. The introduction of internal constraints makes 3D frame field generation more robust in this paper, and it can automatically correct some invalid 3–5 singular structures. In a few examples with special requirements, the proposed algorithm successfully generates valid blocks even though the singular structure of the model is modified by user-defined cutting surfaces.

Originality/value

The proposed algorithm takes the advantage of feature decomposition and the 3D frame field to generate suitable blocks for a mapping or sweeping algorithm, which saves a lot of simulation time and requires less experience. The user-defined cutting surfaces enable the creation of special hexahedral meshes, which was difficult with previous algorithms. An improved 3D frame field generation method is proposed to correct some invalid singular structures and improve the robustness of the previous methods.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 41 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 December 2023

Xiuying Chen, Jiahong Zhu and Sheng Liu

The reform and opening-up of capital market is valued for promoting sustainable development, while its impact presented as the form of deregulation of short-selling on the green…

Abstract

Purpose

The reform and opening-up of capital market is valued for promoting sustainable development, while its impact presented as the form of deregulation of short-selling on the green innovation of enterprises in developing countries remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to outline the significance of gradual reform of financial markets in developing countries for low-carbon transformation and provide implications for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the green subdivided patent data and financial data of China’s A-share listed companies, this paper takes the implementation of securities margin trading program as a quasi-natural experiment and applies the difference-in-differences (DID) model to examine the impact of deregulation of short-selling constraints on the enterprises’ green transformation.

Findings

The findings reveal that the initiating securities margin trading program significantly enhances the green innovation performance of enterprises. These findings are valid after performing a series of robustness tests such as the parallel trend test, the placebo test and the methods to exclude other policy interference. Mechanism analyses demonstrate a two-faceted effect of the securities margin trading program on the green innovation of enterprises, in which short-selling policy increases the pressure on capital market deregulation and meanwhile induces the environmental protection investment. The heterogeneity results demonstrate that the impulsive effect imposed by securities margin trading program is more significant in experimental group samples with characteristics of lower financing constraints, belonging to heavy polluting industries and possessing better environmental supervision capability.

Originality/value

First, previous studies have focused on the impact of financial policies implemented by banking institutions on the green innovation of enterprises, but few literatures have explored the validity of relaxing short-selling restrictions or opening the capital market in the field of enterprise’s green transformation in developing country. From the view of securities market reform, this paper broadens the incentive and supervision effects of the relaxation of short-selling control on enterprise’s green innovation performance after the implementation of securities financing and securities lending policy in China’s capital market. Second, previous studies have explored the impact of command-and-control environmental regulations, as well as market-incentivized environmental regulations such as green finance, low-carbon pilots and environmental tax reform, on the green transition of enterprises. Recently the role of the securities market in the green development of enterprises has received more attention in academia. The pilot of margin financing and securities lending is essentially a market-incentivized regulatory tool, but there is few in-depth research on how it affects the green innovation of enterprises. This paper enriches the research on whether the market incentive financial regulation policy can contribute to the green transformation of enterprises under the Porter hypothesis. Third, some previous studies used the ordinary panel regression model to explore the impact of financial policy on enterprise’s innovation performance. However, due to the potential endogenous problems of the estimated model, it might get biased conclusions. Therefore, based on the method of quasi-natural experiment, this paper selects the margin trading pilot policy as an exogenous shock to solve the endogenous or reverse causality problem in traditional measurement model and applies the DID model to study the relationship between core indicator variables.

Details

Nankai Business Review International, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8749

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 May 2023

Mohammad Alghababsheh

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has created disruptions across the supply chain that are beyond the resources of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to effectively deal with…

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has created disruptions across the supply chain that are beyond the resources of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to effectively deal with. This study aims to examine the idea that top managers' business and political ties can play direct roles in enhancing SCR in SMEs during COVID-19 by providing access to valuable resources. The study further investigates integrative capability as an underlying mechanism through which the effects of business and political ties can be transformed into enhanced SCR.

Design/methodology/approach

Responses from 217 SMEs in the country of Jordan were received via an online survey. The measurement and structural models were tested using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique.

Findings

The study found that business and political ties are positively related to SCR. However, integrative capability fully mediates the relationship between business ties and SCR, whereas it partially mediates the relationship between political ties and SCR.

Research limitations/implications

The study examined only the direct and indirect impacts of business and political ties on SCR. It could be extended by exploring the conditions under which they influence SCR.

Originality/value

The study explicates the role of top managers' business and political ties on improving SCR in a developing country context. It further examines the mediating role of integrative capability in the relationships between business and political ties and SCR.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 29 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 September 2023

Liming Zhu, Zhengmao Qiu, Sheng Chen, Xiaojing Wang, Lingfeng Huang and Feiyu Chen

The purpose of this paper is to propose a type of hybrid bearing lubricated with supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) and to investigate the stiffness and damping characteristics…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a type of hybrid bearing lubricated with supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) and to investigate the stiffness and damping characteristics of the bearing under hydrostatic status.

Design/methodology/approach

Established a test rig for radial bearings lubricated with S-CO2 and used it to measure the dynamic coefficients by recording the relative and absolute displacements of bearing. Test bearing is mounted on a nonrotating, stiff shaft. Using static loading experiments to obtain structural stiffness. The dynamic coefficient regularities of the test bearing under hydrostatic status were revealed through dynamic loading experiments.

Findings

Experiment results indicate that test bearing displayed increased stiffness when subjected to high excitation frequencies and low excitation forces, as well as elevated damping when exposed to low excitation frequencies and low excitation forces. Additionally, an increase in either environmental pressure or hydrostatic recess pressure can elevate the dynamic coefficient. The effect of temperature on the dynamic coefficient is more pronounced around the critical temperature of S-CO2.

Originality/value

Designed a type of hybrid bearing for use in the Brayton cycle that is lubricated with S-CO2 and uses hydrostatic lubrication during start-stop and hydrodynamic lubrication during high-speed operation. The hybrid bearing reduces the wear and friction power consumption of gas bearing. However, few experimental analyses have been conducted by researchers in this field.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 75 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 December 2023

Elle Xiaoyan Huang and Xueying Zou

This paper aims to understand how cultural and creative industries (CCIs) contribute to regional innovation.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to understand how cultural and creative industries (CCIs) contribute to regional innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explores the process of CCIs contributing to regional innovation and assesses the accumulated outcome of this process.

Findings

The authors conclude that CCIs contribute to a city’s innovation involving five dimensions (time, space, tangible, intangible and division) and four phases (people, tool, collaboration and brokerage) and the contributions are accumulated into positive innovation outcome; however, a highly developed economy is relatively unsupportive of CCIs contributing to regional innovation.

Originality/value

The main contributions are that the authors configured the detailed process of CCIs contributing to regional innovation and the authors quantitatively measured the impact of CCIs on regional innovation, using the Porter diamond model and Shannon entropy to construct the CCI index.

Details

International Journal of Innovation Science, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-2223

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 November 2022

Li Wang, Longwei Wang and Min Zhang

Based on social capital theory and the institutional theory, this paper aims to explain how a firm’s business ties and political ties affect contractual governance in an interfirm…

Abstract

Purpose

Based on social capital theory and the institutional theory, this paper aims to explain how a firm’s business ties and political ties affect contractual governance in an interfirm cooperation, and under which institutional conditions they can play a better role.

Design/methodology/approach

This study tests conceptual model using questionnaire survey data collected from 227 firms in China. Hierarchical regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

This study finds that business ties have significant effect on contract completeness, while political ties have significant effect on contract enforcement. Moreover, these effects are contingent on some institutional factors. Market information transparency strengthens the effect of business ties on contract completeness and weakens the effect of political ties on contract completeness. Legal system completeness weakens the effect of political ties on contract enforcement.

Practical implications

This study suggests that managers could actively and selectively use their managerial ties to enhance contractual governance in an interfirm cooperation.

Originality/value

This study adds to the current understanding of how an interfirm cooperation is shaped by the firm’s social capital derived from external network relationships and extends the research on what social antecedents affect contractual governance. Moreover, this study sheds new light on when managerial ties can play a more beneficial role in emerging economies.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 38 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2022

Pinsheng Duan and Jianliang Zhou

Near misses are important references for the construction industry to move toward zero injuries, and are of great significance in reducing accidents and improving safety…

Abstract

Purpose

Near misses are important references for the construction industry to move toward zero injuries, and are of great significance in reducing accidents and improving safety education. To fully improve the construction industry's understanding and standardize the management process of near-miss events, this paper describes a systematic review of the research front and intellectual basis of near-miss events based on scientometric technique and CiteSpace.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors reviewed and summarized the research wave and definitions of near-miss events in construction. The science mapping approach is used to conduct quantitative analyses of 120 relevant articles published between 2009 and 2019. Three research themes are identified via author analysis, keyword analysis and co-citation analysis: the construction of near-miss management systems, near-miss events research and characteristic research.

Findings

It is found that improving the data collection method to maximize the quality of near-miss reports, optimizing and verifying the event analysis model considering the characteristics of near-miss events in construction, establishing a more comprehensive framework for the analysis of near-miss events and building a highly inclusive technology integration platform are the four main development directions for the future.

Originality/value

According to Heinrich's law, incidents are mainly blamed on near-miss events such as workers' unsafe behaviors. Due to the complexity and variability of the construction site, near-miss events in construction may have different features. This article helps promote the understanding of near misses in academia, standardizing the management process of near-miss events, which is conducive to mining the potential value of such events in practice. Some insights into the research front and the intellectual base of near-miss research in construction are proposed.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 30 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

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