Tubular offshore structures are commonly assembled using welded joints, creating areas of stress concentration and potential fatigue failure. This study focuses on tubular T, Y and K joints, a common offshore structural component. Finite element modeling is used to predict stress concentration factors (Kt) for various loading conditions on the T, Y and K joints. The goal is to calculate Kt values and compare them to existing theoretical solutions from literature. Additionally, the influence of different loading modes (tension, bending) on the Kt values is investigated. By using advanced modeling techniques, this work aims to provide new insight into the behavior of tubular T, Y and K joints connections under realistic offshore loading conditions. The results can help improve design standards and fatigue life predictions for these critical structural joints.

In the article, on the basis of previously conducted theoretical and experimental studies, a phys-ical model of the process of additional impact on the basis of non-uniform plastic deformation is developed and investigated. On the basis of the physical model, a mathematical model of the additional impact is developed, the generalizing factor of which in the case of asymmetric de-formation is the external moment from the side lines.

This study examines the dimensions of learning organization essential in enhancing Human Resources (HR) effectiveness towards the attainment of the strategic objectives of commercial banks operating in Nigeria. This study adopted a survey research design following a quantitative approach for data collection and analysis procedure. The respondents (professional bankers) were selected using a convenience sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was designed and administered to 305 respondents in the participating commercial banks. The data was analysed using a variance-based structural equation modelling via SmartPLS, version 3.2.9. The results showcased specific learning dimensions to consider in designing learning and development interventions for HR effectiveness in commercial banks. There is a dearth of literature on the specific learning dimensions that play a prominent role in ensuring HR effectiveness in the banking industry in developing countries, particularly in Nigeria. The outcomes of this study contribute to the extant literature and assist HR business partners in adding value to commercial banks through HR effectiveness.

This study aims to build a framework for measuring the productivity in the public transport sector through a data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique. This paper extends the Malmquist productivity index (MP1) and Luenberger productivity indicator (I.P1) evaluation with the concept of an input-oriented new slack model (NSM). NSM model measures the efficiency with the effect of slacks and satisfies unit invariance, radial and translation invariance properties. In particular, the purpose of the proposed extension is to obtain the overall productivity change in terms of technical change (Frontier Shift) and technical efficiency change (Catch-up Effect) for Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) bus depots from 2008 to 2019. For this purpose, the number of buses, number of employers, fuel consumption and route distance arc are considered input variables, while passenger-kilometres occupied and vehicle utilisation are output variables. Finally, the result demonstrates that the average total factor productivity (TFP) growth of 46 depots using MPI and LPI over the study period is 1.956% and 1.409%, respectively. This study enables policy-maker and managers to evaluate the input to reach consistent output up to an optimum level and understand the process of improving the productivity level for the bus depots.

Recently, the development of cross-laminated timber (CLT) products that can substitute large-dimensional wood for structures and reduce waste of wood products with small dimensions and pieces continues to be developed, and demand from industries continues to increase. Therefore, this study aims to measure and analyze the mechanical properties of cross-laminated timber (CLT) products designed with a typical arrangement of the Lampung region, Indonesia, called a screen arrangement. Measurement and analysis of mechanical properties include measuring load tests and analyzing moments and stiffness of CLT products intended for floor and beam structures. The screen-type wood arrangement used in the product consists of an inner screen arrangement, an outer screen arrangement, and a standing screen arrangement with polyvinyl acetate adhesive. Load test measurements were carried out using a universal testing machine (UTM) and moment and bending stress analysis using engineering mechanics. Generally, the results show that CLT products with standing screens have smaller mechanical properties than those intended for floors and beams. This research shows that the typical CLT arrangement of the Lampung region (Indonesia), in the form of a screen, has strong mechanical properties and characteristics that can be compared with other arrangements.

Hurricanes are one of the most significant causes of human and material losses in the Caribbean region. These events have demonstrated their devastating impact on housing and infrastructure. The assessment of the vulnerability of buildings with light roofs, at the initial design stage, is considered to be a fundamental step in the mitigation of these damages and losses. This paper presents the introduction of an indicator-based vulnerability assessment in an effort to mitigate these damages in advance. This indicator facilitates the design team's decision to select the appropriate light roof alternative subject to strong winds at the conceptual stage of the process. The indicators that contribute to the conceptual assessment of vulnerability were identified based on a comprehensive review of the literature and numerical simulations of the risk scenarios using CFD/FEM software’s. The ranking of indicator weights was determined by the Kano method according to experts' opinions. A desktop application has been developed for the assessment of the vulnerability of light roof variants for buildings at the conceptual design stage. The results reported in a case study demonstrate the viability of the desktop application based on the vulnerability indicator to assist decision making in the conceptual design stage.

Amongst various structures, 2D panels are widely used in many industries and in each application, there are many ambient vibrations which can be converted into electrical energy. The very efficient method to utilize can be using piezoelectric patches which are stuffiest enough for various applications like energy harvesting. This study presents a novel approach for investigating energy harvesting in smart structures using composite panels integrated with piezoelectric patches. The panels are chosen to symmetry-balanced laminated composites, and modal and harmonic analysis conducted using the Rayleigh-Ritz method. To compute the kinetic and potential energy components of the piezoelectric patches at a local level, piecewise Heaviside functions are employed, and these energy components are integrated into the equations of motion together with those of the host composite plate. The results of the numerical method are validated by a commercial finite element software (FEM) COMSOL and there is a good match between FEM and this paper results. By subjecting the laminated composite with piezoelectric patches to forced vibration while varying the lamination parameter, the power output is optimized. The findings emphasize the substantial impact of the lamination parameter on power output, indicating that modifications can result in significant power output increase.

Production planners today must simultaneously face with the time and quality demands of various goods externally and meet limited capacity internally. This study presents a two-stage delayed- differentiation multiproduct model that considers the outsourcing options for common parts, overtime strategy for end products, and quality reassurance to assist in making fabrication runtime decisions that are cost-effective. Stage one produces all necessary common intermediate components for end products. To reduce stage one’s utilization/uptime, this study adopts a partial outsourcing option. Stage two uses an overtime strategy to fabricate end products that further shorten the uptime. The production processes in both phases are assumed to be imperfect. This study employs the reworking/scrapping of random faulty items to reassure product quality. The researchers build a model to depict the proposed problem’s characteristics and used the mathematical modeling, analysis, and optimization approach to determine the best rotation cycle length that minimizes the system’s expenses. Further, in this study, the researchers provide sensitivity analyses and a numerical illustration, which validate the result’s applicability and exhibit its capability. This result contributes to practical multiproduct-fabrication by (1) deriving the optimal manufacturing policy for a delayed-differentiation multiproduct system with dual uptime reduction policies and quality reassurance; and (2) offering a decisional model that allows production planners to explore the collective/separate effect of a quality-ensured and dual uptime reduction strategy on a problem’s operating policy and crucial system performance indicators, which assists in cost-effective decision-making.

Composite marine structures are crucial for maritime and aerospace applications due to their strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. To ensure their reliability and durability, a methodology to predict the damage criticality and service life of composite marine T-joints is essential. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has emerged as a powerful tool for preliminary design and structural evaluation of complex structures, reducing the need for extensive experimental work and leading to substantial cost savings. This research project aims to conduct a comprehensive FEA of composite T-joints, considering alternative skin, core, and infill materials. Structural analyses under various loading conditions will evaluate overall deflection and stress levels, aiming to enhance the design and reliability of composite marine constructions, ultimately improving their performance and extending their service life in demanding maritime and aerospace environments.

A new case of joint location and scheduling (ScheLoc) problem is considered. It deals with selecting a non-fixed number of locations for identical parallel executors (machines) from a given set of available sites. Simultaneously, a schedule for a set of tasks is sought. For every task, it comprises an executor carrying-out the task and the moment of time when the performance of the task is started. The locations for executors and the schedule are evaluated by two criteria: the sum of task completion times and investment costs incurred when locations for executors are selected and launched. It is justified that the joint optimization problem is strongly NP-hard. In consequence, a heuristic algorithm Alg_BC is proposed, which uses the general scheme of NSGA II provided for the multi-criteria optimization. The performance of Alg_BC is evaluated for small instances by exact solutions determined by the Matlab solver. The sensitivity analysis for bigger instances is also provided, which among others, allows examining the influence of both component criteria on results generated by the evaluated algorithm. A case study dealing with the evacuation of citizen groups from danger zones is provided as an example of the investigated bi-criteria ScheLoc problem. The usefulness of Alg_BC is confirmed as well.