Design for disassembly and augmented reality applied to a tailstock

The work here described aims to offer a starting point for improving and making a generic maintenance process more efficient, first of all thanks to the use of a cutting-edge technology such as augmented reality, as a key tool that makes it possible and immediate to communicate to operators which are the fundamental stages of the maintenance process to be followed in the working area. Furthermore, thanks to the use of two methods applied in the context of the Design for Disassembly (later described), we also propose to search for all the possible sequences to get to the removal of a target component to be adjusted—in particular the optimal one (if it exists, in terms of time and costs) to be subsequently applied in an augmented reality “self-disassembly” model that can be viewed and followed by the operator, in a way that is still very little used today

Retrofit of existing steel structures against progressive collapse through roof-truss

The paper presents the results of a comprehensive study on the evaluation of the effectiveness of a retrofit strategy of existing steel buildings against progressive collapse. In this respect, it investigates the performance and the design of a retrofit solution to increase the robustness of steel Moment Resisting Frame buildings. A truss steel system added at the building's rooftop level (i.e., ‘roof-truss’), and intended to define an alternative load path, was investigated as a retrofit solution. The numerical model key components, including the plastic hinges and the beam-column connections, were validated against available experimental results. The validated models were then used to study the robustness of the structure under column loss scenarios by means of non-linear static and dynamic analyses performed in OpenSees. The simulations allowed for the identification of possible failure modes and alternative load paths together with the definition of the Dynamic Increase Factor (DIF). In this regard, it is shown that column buckling is critical for the selected case study. Moreover, the outcomes showed how the proposed retrofit solution allows the definition of effective alternative load paths when subjected to column loss scenarios and informs on the critical details that should be checked by employing this retrofit system

A Retrofit Method to Mitigate Progressive Collapse in Steel Structures

Accidental events, such as impact loading or explosions, are rare events characterized by a very low probability of occurrence. However, their effects often lead to very high human losses and economic consequences as are likely to trigger the progressive collapse of the buildings. The pro-gressive collapse of structures attracted the attention of many researchers and the topic has been widely investigated in recent years. In addition, increasing interest has been shown also on the definition of retrofit strategies able to increase the robustness of existing structures. The present work investigates the performance and the design of a retrofit solution to increase the robustness of steel moment resisting frames. A case study structure is selected and modelled in OpenSees, including both mechanical and geometrical non-linearities. Non-linear static analyses have been carried out on the frame, simulating a column loss scenario to investigate the subsequent load re-distribution. The simulations showed that the case study was unable to redistribute the load and hence retrofitting was required. Among others, a truss system was added at the rooftop level of the building allowing the definition of an alternative load path. The analyses outcomes showed how the proposed retrofit method allows to increase the robustness of the case study structure and allowed for critical remarks on the checks required when this retrofit system is employed

Optimised Strategies for Seismic-Resilient Self-Centring Steel Moment Resisting Frames

In recent years there have been significant advancements in the definition of innovative minimal damage structures chasing the urgent requirements of more resilient societies against extreme seismic events. In this context, a type of seismic-resilient moment resisting frames (MRFs) is based on the use of Self-Centring Damage-Free (SCDF) devices in column bases and beam-to-column joints. However, when these devices are widespread across the whole structure, the details’ complexity increases significantly with respect to conventional solutions, thus limiting their practical application. To overcome this drawback, current research works are focusing on the definition of optimum locations for SCDF devices such that their effectiveness is maximised. Within this context, the present study investigates optimum locations for a limited number of SCDF devices to be used within mid- and high-rise MRFs. An 8-storey structure is selected for case study purposes and nineteen configurations are investigated considering different positions of SCDF joints. Numerical models of the selected configurations are developed in OpenSees and Incremental Dynamic Analysis are performed. The seismic responses of the case-study structures equipped with different layouts of SCDF devices are evaluated and compared. Some considera-tions in terms of optimal distributions of SCDF devices are made with the aim of maximising the efficiency of the solution and the seismic performance of mid- and high-rise MRFs

Critical Comparison of Assessment Codes for Steel Moment Resisting Frames

Many existing steel multi-storey frame buildings worldwide were designed prior to the introduction of modern seismic design provisions or based on outdated hazard maps considering low values of seismic intensity. This often resulted in buildings showing low performances with respect to earthquake loads. Assessment codes, such as the Eurocode 8 Part 3 and the ASCE 41, have been conceived to provide tools to assess the seismic performance of existing structures, to evaluate their adequacy with respect to the current safety standards and the need for seismic retrofit. However, recent research studies have revealed the necessity for a revision of these codes. In particular, for steel moment resisting frames, the current European regulation shares many similarities with older versions of the American codes, but has failed to incorporate changes based on the state-of-the-art knowledge. In addition, the undergoing update of other parts of the Eurocode motivates a full revision of the current standards. This paper compares the assessment procedures of the European and American codes. Two low-code steel Moment Resisting Frames were considered for case study purposes and the assessment was performed based on three local Engineering Demand Parameters (EDPs), i.e., column’s rotation, beam’s rotation and panel zone’s shear distortion, and the inter-story drift as global EDP. Incremental Dynamic Analyses were performed for the development of component and system fragility curves. The present work aims to identify some challenges and to provide some preliminary insights for the revision of the Eurocode 8 Part 3

On the Avant-Garde IDeS Method for the Future of Car Design Applied to an SUV Project

This case study aims to develop a new innovative SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) model exploiting IDeS (Industrial Design Structure), which is an engineering approach conceived to optimize car design projects in the automotive industry like never before. A compact SUV was chosen because it is a type of vehicle that is highly requested by customers, and it is extremely successful in the market due to its versatility. In fact, compact SUVs are mixed vehicles that combine the pragmatism of a car with the typical robustness of an off-road vehicle making them suitable both for urban and off-road scenarios. The following pages will illustrate the steps followed for the realization of the final product using the SDE (Stylistic Design Engineering) method and other various design technologies, such as Quality Function Deployment (QFD), Benchmarking (BM) and Top Flop Analysis (TPA). In the final part of this project, the virtual prototyping of the product is carried out using Additive Manufacturing (AM) with an FDM 3D printer. The combination of these methods forms, to all intents and purposes, the IDeS, a newly developed innovative and cutting-edge discipline capable of schematically guiding the new product development process in companies with unprecedented efficiency

Electric Bike Product Conception and Styling According to Design Trends

The following case study portrays the several steps required to conceive a product from scratch. The first step involves an in-depth analysis of today’s electric bicycle market in order to obtain data and information relating to the levels of innovation and comfort required by customers. Then, we evaluate the implementation of a useful method to understand the level of innovation that the product must have to be competitive on the market. The second part studies the architecture of the product, considering the different components already sold on the market which will become part of the project. The third part concerns a comparison between different stylistic trends that the vehicle may have (in order to outline the best one). The fourth part concerns the CAD realization of the virtual model complete with all its parts, including a structural verification study of the frame. The last part studies the presentation of the product to the customer, exploring different effective ways to communicate what the strengths of the new product will be (also allowing them to customize it before its realization). The plan for the realization of the new product, starting from the concept to arrive at the final presentation to the customer, follows the methods proposed by applying a series of steps to develop a generic new product in an efficient, sensible, and methodical manner. Therefore, we will refer to quality function deployment (QFD), benchmarking (BM), design for X, until reaching the final prototyping and testing phases

The continuing value of mesalazine as first-line therapy for patients with moderately active ulcerative colitis

Mesalazine is an established and recommended first-line treatment for mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis (UC). For patients with moderately active UC, the choice to use mesalazine or to initiate treatment with an oral corticosteroid or anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agent is not clearly informed from current guidelines. The use of mesalazine is supported by robust clinical evidence supporting its efficacy at inducing remission in patients with moderately active disease. A key advantage of mesalazine is its tolerability profile being similar to that of placebo, which contrasts with that of the corticosteroids and advanced therapies, where there is the potential for significant toxicities. Mesalazine also has cost advantages over anti-TNFs and other advanced therapies. Evidence supports the consideration of all patients with moderately active UC for first-line mesalazine therapy at an optimized dose of ≥4g/d (± 1g/d rectal). Patients responding to treatment within 2 weeks should continue at ≥4g/d for at least 6 months before a dose reduction is considered, since this then alters the pattern of disease

Stability of Boundary Conditions for the Sadowsky Functional

It has been proved by the authors that the (extended) Sadowsky functional can be deduced as the Γ -limit of the Kirchhoff energy on a rectangular strip, as the width of the strip tends to 0. In this paper, we show that this Γ -convergence result is stable when affine boundary conditions are prescribed on the short sides of the strip. These boundary conditions include those corresponding to a Möbius band. This provides a rigorous justification of the original formal argument by Sadowsky about determining the equilibrium shape of a free-standing Möbius strip. We further write the equilibrium equations for the limit problem and show that, under some regularity assumptions, the centerline of a developable Möbius band at equilibrium cannot be a planar curve

an open and modular hardware node for wireless sensor and body area networks

Health monitoring is nowadays one of the hottest markets due to the increasing interest in prevention and treatment of physical problems. In this context the development of wearable, wireless, open-source, and nonintrusive sensing solutions is still an open problem. Indeed, most of the existing commercial architectures are closed and provide little flexibility. In this paper, an open hardware architecture for designing a modular wireless sensor node for health monitoring is proposed. By separating the connection and sensing functions in two separate boards, compliant with the IEEE1451 standard, we add plug and play capabilities to analog transducers, while granting at the same time a high level of customization. As an additional contribution of the work, we developed a cosimulation tool which simplifies the physical connection with the hardware devices and provides support for complex systems. Finally, a wireless body area network for fall detection and health monitoring, based on wireless node prototypes realized according to the proposed architecture, is presented as an application scenario