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Perforated composite beams are an increasingly popular choice in the construction of buildings because they can provide a structurally and materially efficient design solution while also facilitating the passage of services. The purpose of this paper is to examine the behaviour of restrained perforated beams, which act compositely with a profiled slab and are exposed to fire. The effect of surrounding structure on the composite perforated beam is incorporated in this study using a virtual hybrid simulation framework. The developed framework could also be used to analyse other structural components in fire.

A finite element model is developed using OpenSees and OpenFresco using a virtual hybrid simulation technique, and the accuracy of the model is validated using available fire test data. The validated model is used to investigate some of the most salient parameters such as the degree of axial and rotational restraint, arrangement of the openings and different types of fire on the overall fire behaviour of composite perforated beams.

It is shown that both axial and rotational restraint have a considerable effect on time-displacement behaviour and the fire performance of the composite perforated beam. It is observed that the rate of heating and the consequent development of elevated temperature in the section have a significant effect on the fire behaviour of composite perforated beams.

The paper will improve the knowledge of readers about modelling the whole system behaviour in structural fire engineering and the presented approach could also be used for analysing different types of structural components in fire conditions.

Simulations exist for the prediction of the behaviour of building structural systems under fire, including two-way coupled fire-structure interaction. However, these simulations do not include detailed models of the connections, whereas these connections may impact the overall behaviour of the structure. Therefore, this paper proposes a two-scale method to include screw connections.

The two-scale method consists of (a) a global-scale model that models the overall structural system and (b) a small-scale model to describe a screw connection. Components in the global-scale model are connected by a spring element instead of a modelled screw, and the stiffness of this spring element is predicted by the small-scale model, updated at each load step. For computational efficiency, the small-scale model uses a proprietary technique to model the behaviour of the threads, verified by simulations that model the complete thread geometry, and validated by existing pull-out experiments. For four screw failure modes, load-deformation behaviour and failure predictions of the two-scale method are verified by a detailed system model. Additionally, the two-scale method is validated for a combined load case by existing experiments, and demonstrated for different temperatures. Finally, the two-scale method is illustrated as part of a two-way coupled fire-structure simulation.

It was shown that proprietary ”threaded connection interaction” can predict thread relevant failure modes, i.e. thread failure, shank tension failure, and pull-out. For bearing, shear, tension, and pull-out failure, load-deformation behaviour and failure predictions of the two-scale method correspond with the detailed system model and Eurocode predictions. Related to combined load cases, for a variety of experiments a good correlation has been found between experimental and simulation results, however, pull-out simulations were shown to be inconsistent.

More research is needed before the two-scale method can be used under all conditions. This relates to the failure criteria for pull-out, combined load cases, and temperature loads.

The two-scale method bridges the existing very detailed small-scale screw models with present global-scale structural models, that in the best case only use springs. It shows to be insightful, for it contains a functional separation of scales, revealing their relationships, and it is computationally efficient as it allows for distributed computing. Furthermore, local small-scale non-convergence (e.g. a screw failing) can be handled without convergence problems in the global-scale structural model.

The purpose of this systematic review was to explore the benefits and challenges in the implementation of simulation-based education (SBE) in the classroom and clinical settings in sub-Saharan Africa. The objectives of this systematic review were to identify the benefits of utilising SBE in the classroom and clinical practice in sub-Saharan Africa and to assess the challenges in the implementation of SBE in the classroom and clinical practice in sub-Saharan Africa.

Five databases were searched for existing English literature (Medline, CINAHL and Science Direct), including grey literature on the subject. Out of 26 eligible studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa between 2014 and 2021, six studies that used mixed-methods design were included. Hawker et al.’s framework was used to assess the quality of the studies. Quantitative data were presented using descriptive and inferential statistics in the form of means and standard deviations while qualitative data were analysed and presented thematically.

Quantitative findings showed that participants rated SBE highly in terms of teaching (93.2%), learning (91.4%) and skill acquisition (88.6%). SBE improved the clinical skill competency from 30% at baseline to 75% at the end. On the other hand, qualitative findings yielded themes namely: improved confidence and competence; knowledge acquisition and critical thinking; motivation and supervision; independent, self-paced learning; simulation equipment and work schedules; and planning and delivery of simulation activity. Pedagogical skills, competence and confidence are some of the elements that determine the feasibility of implementing SBE in the classroom and clinical settings.

SBE could help to bridge the gap between theory and practice and improve the quality of care provided by nurses. Simulation-based training is effective in improving the clinical skills of midwives and increasing their confidence in providing care. However, SBE trainees require motivation and close supervision in classroom settings if simulation is to be successfully implemented in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, careful planning of scenarios, students briefing and reading of content prior to implementation facilitate effective simulation.

While there may be a lack of literature on the use of SBE for training nurses and midwives in the developing world, there is growing evidence that it can be an effective way to improve clinical skills and quality of care. However, there are also significant challenges to implementing simulation-based training in resource-limited settings, and more research is needed to understand how best to address these challenges. This study fills this gap in the literature.

The purpose of this paper is to study the application ways of extended reality (XR) in teaching, the specific teaching effects and how to implement teaching integration.

The study adopts an umbrella review approach, locates and screens 20 pertinent meta-analysis studies published in international journals and conducts a systematic review of the effects of teaching applications of XR technologies in terms of subject categories, education levels and teaching cycles.

The study finds that the effects of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies on teaching effectiveness can reach up to 0.723 and 0.951, indicating that XR technologies can improve teaching.

Through the systematic analysis of 20 related element analysis studies published in international journals, the specific methods and effects of XR technology applied to teaching are finally obtained and put forward the new application trend of XR promoting teaching effect.

In the past decade, more and more research has also focused on the specific methods and effects of XR technology applied to teaching. However, there are still problems such as unclear technology application path and unclear effect. Based on this, it is necessary to further conduct an overall overview and analysis of the impact of XR technology on teaching effect when it is integrated into teaching, systematically study the teaching effect of XR technology in different education levels and subject types and provide a theoretical basis for more detailed research on XR technology integration into teaching.

This paper aims to describe innovations at the Games + Learning + Society Center to explore the future of education.

This paper is an overview of several published studies and design interventions.

Commercial partnerships, particularly generating copyrightable materials can maximize impact and diversify research funding, but they also run counter to the culture and purpose of many research universities.

Researchers interested in forging new partnerships to maximize impact might explore relationships with commercial entities but be aware that they are running counter to the grain of most institutions and goals. Other universities of different sizes, ages and orientations may have different results.

Building private partnerships requires different staffing and skill sets than traditional research. Guidance for staffing key roles and projects are provided.

This paper is a reflection on unique research initiative that generated revenue and helped shape a subfield of education.

This paper aims to propose and implement an integrated augmented-reality (AR)-aided assembly environment to incorporate the interaction between real and virtual components, so that users can obtain a more immersive experience of the assembly simulation in real time and achieve better assembly design.

A component contact handling strategy is proposed to model all the possible movements of virtual components when they interact with real components. A novel assembly information management approach is proposed to access and modify the information instances dynamically corresponding to user manipulation. To support the interaction between real and virtual components, a hybrid marker-less tracking method is implemented.

A prototype system has been developed, and a case study of an automobile alternator assembly is presented. A set of tests is implemented to validate the feasibility, efficiency, accuracy and intuitiveness of the system.

The prototype system allows the users to manipulate and assemble the designed virtual components to the real components, so that the users can check for possible design errors and modify the original design in the context of their final use and in the real-world scale.

This paper proposes an integrated AR simulation and planning platform based on hybrid-tracking and ontology-based assembly information management. Component contact handling strategy based on collision detection and assembly feature surfaces mating reasoning is proposed to solve component degree of freedom.

Hybrid concrete construction is a technologically advanced approach to frame construction. It utilizes an optimal mix of structural materials;eg, in situ concrete with precast concrete and steelwork. The process of selecting an hybrid‐optimized solution, however, often requires several factors to be considered, eg, “hard”criteria such as time and cost, and “soft” criteria such as safety and aesthetics (to be considered simultaneously) – the complexities of which can often be a core barrier to implementation. This paper introduces the concept of hybrid concrete construction and presents a virtual prototyping tool to assist the decision‐making process. This model is able to import computer aided design information into a central database – the details of which are then layered with additional information; eg, hard and soft performance criteria and so on. Solutions can be interrogated and demonstrated through an interactive virtual environment, in which multi‐option scenarios can be evaluated against specific user‐defined criteria. Findings have identified several core benefits, including the ability to: justify decisions corroborated with detailed data; evaluate options against each other; interrogate objects at a much greater detail than before; and see the effects of changes in a “real‐time” environment.

The purpose of this paper is to give a comprehensive survey on the physics-based virtual assembly (PBVA) technology in a novel perspective, to analyze current drawbacks and propose several promising future directions.

To provide a deep insight of PBVA, a discussion of the developing context of PBVA and a comparison against constraint-based virtual assembly (CBVA) is put forward. The core elements and general structure are analyzed based on typical PBVA systems. Some common key issues as well as common drawbacks are discussed, based on which the research trend and several promising future directions are proposed.

Special attention is paid to new research progresses and new ideas concerning recent development as well as new typical systems of the technology. Advantages of PBVA over CBVA are investigated. Based on the analysis of typical PBVA systems and the evolution of PBVA, the core elements of the technology and the general structure of its implementation are identified. Then, current PBVA systems are summarized and classified. After that, key issues in the technology and current drawbacks are explored in detail. Finally, promising future directions are given, including both the further perfecting of the technology and the combination with other technologies.

The PBVA technology is put into a detailed review and analysis in a novel way, providing a better insight of both the theory and the implementation of the technology.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for hybrid fire testing (HFT) which is unconditionally stable, ensures equilibrium and compatibility at the interface and captures the global behavior of the analyzed structure. HFT is a technique that allows assessing experimentally the fire performance of a structural element under real boundary conditions that capture the effect of the surrounding structure.

The paper starts with the analysis of the method used in the few previous HFT. Based on the analytical study of a simple one degree-of-freedom elastic system, it is shown that this previous method is fundamentally unstable in certain configurations that cannot be easily predicted in advance. Therefore, a new method is introduced to overcome the stability problem. The method is applied in a virtual hybrid test on a 2D reinforced concrete beam part of a moment-resisting frame.

It is shown through analytical developments and applicative examples that the stability of the method used in previous HFT depends on the stiffness ratio between the two substructures. The method is unstable when implemented in force control on a physical substructure that is less stiff than the surrounding structure. Conversely, the method is unstable when implemented in displacement control on a physical substructure stiffer than the remainder. In multi-degrees-of-freedom tests where the temperature will affect the stiffness of the elements, it is generally not possible to ensure continuous stability throughout the test using this former method. Therefore, a new method is proposed where the stability is not dependent on the stiffness ratio between the two substructures. Application of the new method in a virtual HFT proved to be stable, to ensure compatibility and equilibrium at the interface and to reproduce accurately the global structural behavior.

The paper provides a method to perform hybrid fire tests which overcomes the stability problem lying in the former method. The efficiency of the new method is demonstrated in a virtual HFT with three degrees-of-freedom at the interface, the next step being its implementation in a real (laboratory) hybrid test.

This paper aims to investigate the need for active boundary conditions during fire testing of structural elements, review existing studies on hybrid fire testing (HFT), a technique that would ensure updating of boundary conditions during a fire test, and propose a compensation scheme to mitigate instabilities in the hybrid testing procedure.

The paper focuses on structural steel columns and starts with a detailed literature review of steel column fire tests in the past few decades with varying axial and rotational end restraints. The review is followed with new results from comparative numerical analyses of structural steel columns with various end constraints. HFT is then discussed as a potential solution to be adapted for fire testing of structural elements. Challenges in contemporary HFT procedures are discussed, and application of stiffness updating approaches is demonstrated.

The reviewed studies indicate that axial and rotational restraints at the boundaries considerably influence the fire response of steel columns. Equivalent static spring technique for simulating effect of surrounding frame on an isolated column behavior does not depict accurate buckling and post-buckling response. Additionally, numerical models that simulate fire performance of a column situated in a full-frame do follow the trends observed in actual test results up until failure occurs, but these simulations do not necessarily capture post-failure performance accurately. HFT can be used to capture proper boundary conditions during testing of isolated elements, as well as correct failure modes. However, existing studies showed cases with instabilities during HFT. This paper demonstrates that a different stiffness updates calculated from the force-displacement response history of test specimen at elevated temperature can be used to resolve stability issues.

The paper has two contributions: it suggests that the provision of active boundary conditions is needed in structural fire testing, as equivalent static spring does not necessarily capture the effect of surrounding frame on an isolated element during a fire test, and it shows that force-displacement response history of test specimen during HFT can be used in the form of a stiffness update to ensure test stability.