Effectiveness Of Such Solutions Research Articles

Data collection for microscopic modelling of urban parcel transport to and from establishments – empirical insights into city logistics in the region of Karlsruhe, Germany

City logistics plays a central role in supplying and disposing goods for establishments and residents in urban areas. However, the steadily rising demand for transporting goods puts cities under pressure. Hence, municipalities strive for alternative solutions for urban freight transport, especially parcel shipments on the first and last mile. Freight demand models are suitable to evaluate the transport-related effects of such solutions. However, developing those models requires a sufficient amount of data, which, to date, especially for establishments, cannot be covered in its necessary scope and accuracy by publicly available sources. Although parcel shipments to and from establishments make up to 40 % of the overall courier, express, and parcel market, these are often neglected in existing modelling approaches. Hence, in this study, we present a data collection concept for generating highly relevant data for the microscopic modelling of urban freight, i.e., parcel transport focusing on establishments. To reflect transport demand (i.e., establishments that need to have goods shipped) and transport supply (i.e., carriers that provide a transport service), a mixed-method approach is developed comprising complementary components. On the one hand, an online establishment survey is designed aiming to reveal disaggregated transport demand data for the subsequent modelling process. The survey focuses on the delivery and shipment characteristics of goods, such as temporal and spatial demand patterns. On the other hand, expert interviews are conceptualized to identify relevant patterns of transport supply carriers such as courier, express, and parcel service providers and shall further work as secondary data for the modelling process. The approach is applied in the region of Karlsruhe, Germany. It can be shown that the survey is generally suitable for generating freight transport data on a disaggregated level and that the mixed-method approach is capable of mutually validating the data obtained. However, our approach also emphasizes the necessity to conduct an establishment survey as a personal rather than a self-reporting interview, even if the costs are higher.

Electricity Theft Detection and Prevention Using Technology-Based Models: A Systematic Literature Review

Electricity theft comes with various disadvantages for power utilities, governments, businesses, and the general public. This continues despite the various solutions employed to detect and prevent it. Some of the disadvantages of electricity theft include revenue loss and load shedding, leading to a disruption in business operations. This study aimed to conduct a systematic literature review to identify what technology solutions have been offered to solve electricity theft and the effectiveness of those solutions by considering peer-reviewed empirical studies. The systematic literature review was undertaken following the guidelines for conducting a literature review in computer science to assess potential bias. A total of 11 journal articles published from 2012 to 2022 in SCOPUS, Science Direct, and Web of Science were analysed to reveal solutions, the type of theft addressed, and the success and limitations of the solutions. The findings show that the focus in research is channelled towards solving electricity theft in Smart Grids (SGs) and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI); moreover, there is a neglect in the recent literature on finding solutions that can prevent electricity theft in countries that do not have SG and AMI installed. Although the results reported in this study are confined to the analysed research papers, the leading limitation in the selected studies, lack of real-life data for dishonest users. This study’s contribution is to show what technology solutions are prevalent in solving electricity theft in recent years and the effectiveness of such solutions.

Climate change and the built environment - a systematic review

AbstractRecent intergovernmental panel on climate change reports have once again emphasised the effective measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the importance of the built environment. Historically, passive and active solutions are known for their potential to make the built environment more environmentally friendly. Recently, a significant number of studies covered the effectiveness of such solutions under distinct current and different future climate and emission predictions. Through the PRISMA framework, this paper presents a comprehensive state-of-the-art review of such studies within the last 10 years (2013–2023) to understand their impact, their tangible applications, and their empirical evidence. Local ecosystems, weather patterns, geographical and cultural challenges dictate the solutions for a warmer future. Among the solutions, as expected, passive solutions remain most effective even though a combination with active ones is necessary regardless of the context. The review in this paper is expandable beyond the effective reported solutions and it highlights the most effective solutions under different climate zones.

Mitigating low-frequency broadband aircraft noise through a structured assembly of acoustic material and devices

Addressing the challenge of attenuating low-frequency broadband noise emerges as a critical concern within the fields of aeronautics, ground transportation, and construction industries, requires innovative solutions for enhanced acoustic control. Over the last few decades, the literature has seen an increase in low-frequency noise control solutions centered around acoustic metamaterial designs. These proposed technologies exhibit promising acoustic performance, especially proving superior to conventional sound insulation materials in constrained spaces, such as in aerospace applications. Despite the efficacy of typical metamaterials in attenuating tonal noise through narrow resonant frequency maxima, practical applications reveal some challenges, as even slight variations in tonal noise frequencies can compromise the overall effectiveness of such solutions. In response to this, the present paper introduces a novel thin acoustic metamaterial design aimed at improving broadband noise attenuation at low frequencies. This design uses carefully arranged structured metamaterials within a fiberglass layer to create optimal resonance frequency bands for maximum low-frequency noise attenuation. Performance assessment in the low-frequency domain employed COMSOL Multiphysics finite element methods, predicting sound absorption coefficient and transmission loss. Results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed metamaterial design, showcasing broad noise attenuation at low frequencies.

REFOCUSING RURAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES AS PANACEA FOR NIGERIA’S ECONOMIC AND SECURITY CHALLENGES IN A POST-COVID DISPENSATION

The study examined the challenges confronting the Nigeria economy and security over the years which seems unresolved, with redirection of focus on better development initiatives. The objectives of the study include identification of these challenges obstructing development in Nigeria; solutions proffered by government; factors mitigating against the effectiveness of such solutions and to redirect development initiatives towards curbing security and economic problems in Nigeria. Data were obtained from secondary sources: indexes of scholars’ work on relevant literature through journal articles, book and papers. The descriptive analytical pattern was adopted in the study. Findings revealed that despite several governmental efforts to tackle these challenges, the solutions have not yielded the desired results as the problems still lingers and increases daily due to certain factors acting as impediments. The paper suggested and redirected the focus of curbing these challenges to rural development initiatives through strategic planning, access to alternate funding sources, education and skill improvement among others as best route to tackle these challenges in a post covid dispensation of Nigeria. The study therefore, recommends among others that there is urgent need for developmental reforms and policy redirection towards combating these challenges.

Relevant analytics is a determining factor in effective management of the company’s activities

Introduction. The functioning of the enterprise requires a constant assessment of the state and dynamics of the external and internal environment, emerging situations and problems, which creates the need to make management decisions that are modeled taking into account potential opportunities: resources, conditions, limitations, risks, unpredictability, etc. One of the determining factors of the effectiveness of such solutions is relevant analytics. From a review of the specialized literature, we can see that nowadays the interest of scientists and practitioners in the use of this term has increased. However, the assessment of the national analytical school confirms that it is not so much about the basic essence of the concept as about the enrichment of its content. Such enrichment occurred due to the increased role of mathematical disciplines and digitalization of the process of preparation, processing and transmission of information, as well as the possibility of finding new knowledge obtained from the processing of large data sets. It is also undeniable that the transformation of the national economy into a market economy expanded international cooperation and brought new phenomena, structures, processes, terms, metrics, indicators, models, evaluation criteria to the economy, which enriches the essence of analytics. Therefore, in our opinion, it is important to evaluate the adaptation of the information and analytical system of our enterprises to advanced ideas, developments, technologies of the international scientific community and practice, which will increase the effectiveness of regulating the development of the Ukrainian economy.
 The purpose of the article is to develop the theoretical foundations of relevant analytics as a prerequisite for effective management of a business entity - a systematic, subject- cognitive-creative process aimed at forming actions/measures to obtain the desired (planned, forecasted, predictable) results of the enterprise’s activity.
 Research methods. The study was carried out using the monographic method and the practice of creating fixed accounting data and their transformation to evaluate the implementation of management decisions and identify situations/problems, the solution of which ensures the achievement of the predicted/planned results of the functioning of the enterprise. In order to achieve the defined goal of the research, the methods of system- functional analysis, in particular the theory of cognition, the theory of decision-making, structural-temporal parametric analysis, abstract-logical, heuristic, etc., were applied.
 The results. The definition of the concept of “analytics” is proposed - as a divided integrity that synthesizes various data and their creative interpretation with the identification of cause-and-effect relationships and a systematic, quantitative-qualitative assessment of changes in phenomena, structures, processes, functions, results, which is the information base of knowledge , forecasting and management of their transformation/development. The peculiarities of the formation and management of the company’s information base and the interpretation of the concept of “relevant analytics” - as a process of providing users/ managers with the requested information, have been specified, which makes it easier and cheaper for them to perform specific tasks with high quality, increases the effectiveness of managerial influence on the results of the enterprise. The functional essence of business analytics and business analytics is considered. Methodological approaches to assessing and solving situations/problems caused by increased risk and uncertainty are proposed.
 Prospects. Further research should develop methodical approaches to ensure organizational, temporal and spatial comparability of indicators, accounting and analysis of virtual assets, justification of management decisions/projects in conditions of risk and uncertainty, wider use of the advantages of intellectual analysis and knowledge obtained from large data sets.

Current performance and future development paths of transparent PV glazing in a multi-domain perspective

Transparent PV (TPV) layers allow solar energy exploitation across the thermal, daylighting, and energy conversion domains. However, the current power conversion efficiency (PCE) and visible transmittance (VT) features of such systems may hinder the effectiveness of such solutions when the global performance of the building envelope is considered. In this study we assessed, from a multi-domain perspective, if the performance of façade configurations based on commercially available TPV layers can compete with the performance of façade configurations based on more conventional (opaque) PV solutions. The outcome of this research is thus, on the one hand, a better, evidence-based understanding of the current performance levels of this technology – whether it is mature enough for successful uptake, and which applications are the most relevant – and on the other hand, evidence-based recommendations for product development paths to make TPV systems more competitive for a wider range of applications. In this simulation study we employed a simple room with standardised user patterns and requirements, and repeated the analysis in multiple European climates, to make our results as generic as possible. We carried out the analysis by computing and comparing the performance across the three different domains (total energy use, daylighting, and energy conversion), thanks to a co-simulation environment, of south-facing façade configurations with different TPV or opaque BIPV solutions, which were parametrically changed in terms of window-to-wall ratio, glazing type, and BIPV system. The results showed that TPV systems provided global performance levels that were, in a large range of cases, worse than those of other façade configurations integrating only opaque PV layers and conventional glazing. The trade-off between solar/visual transmittance and absorptance, necessary to ensure a certain PV conversion output in TPV layers, led to a worse global (multi-domain) performance in all the investigated climates. When a fully glazed façade is an absolute design requirement, TPV-based façades can give a better total energy performance than solutions without any PV conversion feature, while providing acceptable daylighting exploitation. However, these envelope solutions showed a worse performance compared to other configurations with a better, more balanced window-to-wall ratio, with BIPV only on opaque surfaces. Accordingly, these findings have implications for both recommended applications of today’s TPV systems and technology development directions. Current TPV systems may be suitable for large, glazed surfaces (such as atria or roofs above circulation spaces) where visual performance requirements are less tight than in office or dwelling settings. TPV solutions can become more competitive for broader façade applications if a PCE of at least 3 times the current value is achieved without reducing the VT. Increasing the VT while keeping the current PCE could also be a suitable research trajectory to enable TPV systems that provide a better balance in solar energy exploitation. Combining a TPV with more advanced glazing solutions (e.g., vacuum insulation or thin-glass glazing) can, however, only marginally expand the range of usability of these systems.

The Development of an Energy Efficient Temperature Controller for Residential Use and Its Generalization Based on LSTM.

Thermostats operate alongside intelligent home automation systems for ensuring both the comfort of the occupants as well as the responsible use of energy. The effectiveness of such solutions relies on the ability of the adopted control methodology to respond to changes in the surrounding environment. In this regard, process disturbances such as severe wind or fluctuating ambient temperatures must be taken into account. The present paper proposes a new approach for estimating the heat transfer of residential buildings by employing a lumped parameter thermal analysis model. Various control strategies are adopted and tuned into a virtual environment. The knowledge gained is generalized by means of a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network. Laboratory scale experiments are provided to prove the given concepts. The results achieved highlight the efficiency of the implemented temperature controller in terms of overshoot and energy consumption.

Evolution of research and development in the field of artificial intelligence technologies for healthcare in the Russian Federation: results of 2021

The use of artificial intelligence technologies in Russian healthcare is a priority area for implementing a national strategy for the development of artificial intelligence in the country. The introduction of digital solutions based on artificial intelligence in healthcare facilities should improve the standard of living of the population and the quality of medical care, including areas of preventive examinations, diagnostics based on image analysis, prediction of disease development, selection of optimal drug dosages, reducing the threat of pandemics, and automating and increasing the accuracy of surgical interventions.
 Policy management and technical regulation are under development in the field of artificial intelligence in healthcare. The domestic market for relevant solutions has been created, and some products have been certified as medical devices from Roszdravnadzor (Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare). Various teams of scientists are conducting research. However, Russia is still behind the leading countries in the field of artificial intelligence, such as the United States and China. Investments in healthcare products based on artificial intelligence decreased significantly in 2021. The major reasons for the lag, at least in terms of market indicators, are low demand and the inability of state medical organizations to fund artificial intelligence projects. There are also other issues related to trust in the safety and effectiveness of such solutions.

ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN CANADA IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC

In this article, a number of difficulties faced in research, teaching and learning by engineeringinstructors, researchers, students and administrative staff in the universities in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed. A few solutions, such as use of a sample online assessment tool, that might aid in better delivery of engineering courses are provided. The effectiveness of such solutions devised for short-term use and their applicability in the longer-term online teachingare discussed. Special focus is given to engineering education due to the special standards of course delivery and assessment required by the Engineers Canada and Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board.

Ballistic Impact Resistance of Bulletproof Vest Inserts Containing Printed Titanium Structures

Finite element modeling of ballistic impact of inserts containing titanium structures were presented in the article. The inserts containing an additional layer made using additive manufacturing technology were analyzed. The layer was created from repetitive elements made without connections (adjacent cells were inseparable). Four variants of printed titanium structures were placed between layers of Twaron CT 750 aramid fabric to create ballistic inserts. In order to assess the ballistic resistance of the inserts, numerical simulations of ballistic impact phenomenon were carried out using LS-Dyna software. In the simulations the inserts were placed on a steel box filled with ballistic clay and were fired at with the 9 × 19 mm full metal jacket (FMJ) Parabellum projectile. The main aim of the work was to check the effectiveness of such solutions in soft ballistic protection applications and to select the most effective variant of 3D printed structure. Results of the numerical analysis showed a high potential for 3D printed structures made of titanium alloys to be used for bulletproof vest inserts. In all analyzed cases the projectile was stopped by the armor. In addition, thanks to the cooperation of adjacent cells, the projectile energy density was distributed over a large area, as evidenced by large volumes of hollows in the ballistic clay. The indentations in the ballistic clay obtained in the simulations were significantly lower than the acceptable value for the back face deformation (BFD) parameter required by international body armor standards.

The role of eHealth, telehealth, and telemedicine for chronic disease patients during COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid systematic review.

ObjectiveTo summarize the current status of, and the current expert opinions, recommendation and evidence associated with the use and implementation of electronic health (eHealth), telemedicine, and/or telehealth to provide healthcare services for chronic disease patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and methodsWe searched four electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science Core Collection) to identify relevant articles published between 2019 and 2020. Searches were restricted to English language articles only. Two independent reviewers screened the titles, abstracts, and keywords for relevance. The potential eligible articles, papers with no abstract, and those that fall into the uncertain category were read in full text independently. The reviewers met and discussed which articles to include in the final review and reached a consensus.ResultsWe identified 51 articles of which 25 articles met the inclusion criteria. All included articles indicated the promising potential of eHealth, telehealth, and/or telemedicine solutions in delivering healthcare services to patients living with chronic diseases/conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. We synthesized the main findings into ten usages and eight recommendations concerning the different activities for delivering healthcare services remotely for those living with chronic diseases/conditions in the era of COVID-19.Discussion and conclusionsThere is limited evidence available about the effectiveness of such solutions. Further research is required during this pandemic to improve the credibility of evidence on telemedicine, telehealth, and/or eHealth-related outcomes for those living with chronic diseases.

Integer Codes Correcting Single Errors and Detecting Burst Errors Within a Byte

Correcting single and detecting adjacent errors has become important in memory systems using high density DRAM chips. The reason is that, in these systems, the strike of a single energetic particle can upset one or more adjacent bits. In this article, we present a simple solution for this problem based on integer codes capable of correcting single errors and detecting ${l}$ -bit burst errors confined to a ${b}$ -bit byte ( $1 {\, ). Unlike the classical approach, the proposed one does not rely on the use of dedicated encoding/decoding hardware. Instead, it uses the processor as both encoder and decoder. The effectiveness of such solution is demonstrated on a theoretical model of an eight-core processor. The obtained results show that it has the potential to be used in future DDR5 systems.

Estimation of the causes of cracking in the casing of a hot blast duct

The heater of blast furnace intended to provide hot blast and has a metal casing lined inside with refractory bricks. The technological process involves cyclic changes of gas temperature in the heater from 400 to 1200 °C (673 to 1473 K) with cycle duration of 3 h. After some operating time, cracks appear in the casing. Internal pressure in the apparatus is low; nevertheless, the cracks are dangerous because the stream of hot (1200 °C) oxygen-enriched air can damage surrounding structures. A way to prevent cracks depends on the mechanism of their formation. Three possible reasons of the crack formation were considered: uncompensated forces caused by thermal expansion of the entire structure, vibrations, and thermal stresses due local uneven heating of the casing.The observed cracks have different orientations and in some cases are located sufficiently close to each other. This pattern is characteristic for thermal cracks and is not typical for cracks caused by mechanical loads and/or vibrations. Numerical analysis shows that the non-uniformity of temperatures may cause the thermal fatigue cracks despite the fact that the non-uniformity observed on the outer surface of the casing is small enough. Fractographic studies confirmed the thermo-fatigue nature of the cracks. As a possible measure to prevent cracking the usage of 2-layer casing was analyzed, numerical estimations proved potential effectiveness of such solutions.

Identified opportunities for gamification in the elective primary fast-track total hip and knee arthroplasty journey: Secondary analysis of healthcare professionals' interviews.

To identify opportunities for gamification in the elective primary fast-track total hip and knee arthroplasty journey in order to support patients' health-related behaviour. Gamification provides an opportunity to increase engagement in a given health behaviour and, eventually, the possibility of reaching improved outcomes through continued or consistent behaviour. A secondary analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 healthcare professionals in a single joint-replacement centre in Finland during autumn 2018. NVivo software was used for deductive and inductive coding. The open codes were also calculated. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research were followed. Gamification opportunities were identified related to six dimensions: accomplishment, challenge, competition, guided, playfulness and social experience. Based on the frequencies of the coded content, most opportunities for gamification can be identified in the context of personalised counselling, monitoring and social support. Several opportunities for gamification were identified and quantified. While various needs and limitations need to be considered when developing digital gamified solutions and more research into the effectiveness of such solutions will be required, the current study opens possible future avenues for exploring the use of gamification in lower limb joint replacement journey and other specialisms. This study provides an important insight into healthcare professionals' views of the current state of the total hip and knee arthroplasty journey and the potential for its development. In addition, it pinpoints the biggest opportunities for gamified services in the context of personalised counselling, monitoring and social support. Despite the focus of this secondary analysis being on the arthroplasty journey, the findings can also be generalised in other surgical journeys.

Technology Focus: Bit Technology and Bottomhole Assemblies (December 2018)

Technology Focus Rock characterization, with regard to determination of mechanical and geologic properties, is critical for performance drilling. This consideration ensures appropriate offsets analysis. Additionally, it promotes several benefits in project planning and execution, with regard to bottomhole-assembly (BHA) design and compliance analysis, drive-system evaluations, bit selections, hydraulics considerations, drilling-parameter ranges, and anticipation of operational dysfunctions. Performance drilling, when deployed holistically, contributes to cycle-time and project-cost reductions. In most instances, hardness is considered to be the most critical rock property in bit-selection discussions. Field performances, and results from this classification, have not been consistent with this claim. Recent research shows that, in addition to hardness, other rock properties, such as lithology types, heterogeneity, and abrasiveness, have equal importance in bit evaluations. Consequently, the discussion must move from rock-strength analysis to rock-drillability analysis, which is more inclusive. BHAs must achieve their expected functional roles without creating vibrations or conditions that compromise project success. Vibration events commonly have been tied to BHAs or drill bits. Efforts aimed at addressing vibration challenges through bit and BHA changes have not produced the desired results. Researchers have identified additional influences (e.g., drilling parameters, drilling fluid types, rock-drillability factors, stabilizer types and geometries, reamers, wellbore trajectory, and drive systems) that also serve as vibration sources. Consequently, strategies or solutions aimed at addressing vibration challenges must target their sources to ensure effectiveness of such solutions. Performance consistency, aided by effective bit-wear predictions, promotes cycle-time reduction. Improvements in rock-drillability analysis, bit selection, BHA design, drilling-parameter selections, and vibration remediation, coupled with the industry’s advancements in downhole-tool development and data analytics, must ensure appropriate monitoring and prediction of bit wear. Research must delve into the different bit-failure modes—wear and impact, different wear stages, and the totality of factors that drive the wear process. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. IADC/SPE 189697 Real-Time Downhole Data Resolve Lithology-Related Drilling Behavior by Christopher Viens, Nabors Drilling Solutions, et al. SPE 187445 Real-Time Bit-Wear Prediction Using Adaptive Data Analytics by Vikrant Lakhanpal, University of Houston, et al. SPE 188427 Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Rotational Speed and Weight on Bit on Drillstring Vibration, Torque, and Rate of Penetration by Vimlesh A. Bavadiya, University of Oklahoma, et al.

EPBD independent control system for energy performance certification: The Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy) pioneering experience

Directive 2010/31/EU introduces the obligation of “independent control systems”. The Member States have implemented this obligation with different methods and levels of accuracy. Based on these motivations, in Italy, the Emilia-Romagna Region (ERR) has activated its own Energy Performance Certificate Control System. We describes the Control System in Europe, compared to existing works, the procedure adopted in the ERR, and the results of the control campaigns in 2016 and 2017.The methodology provides for control over both the EPC Drafts and EPCs Issued, carried out on two levels: checks and on-site inspection. The results show the impact of the EPC control on the technicians, EPC quality and they highlight the recurring mistake during EPC compilation: which should be divided in two categories: technicians who have misunderstood the laws and standards and other technicians whose work entails negligence or illicit activity. Moreover, the results show the effectiveness of such solutions and the extent of the independent control system to verify the work of the independent experts and the contents of the EPCs. We report a customer satisfaction survey about the EPC control and validation. Advantages of this work that it is possible to carry out widespread EPC control, and it reports an improvement in the quality of the EPCs, moreover it is first study about independent control in Italy.

Расчетная оценка причин образования трещин в кожухе воздуховода горячего дутья

The heater of blast furnace intended to provide hot blast and has a metal casing lined inside with refractory bricks. The technological process involves cyclic temperature changes of gas in the heater from 400 to 1200°C with cycle duration of 3 hour. After some operating time, cracks appear in the casing. Internal pressure in the apparatus is low, but nevertheless the cracks are dangerous because the stream of hot (1200°C) oxygen-enriched air can damage surrounding structures. A way to prevent cracks depends on the mechanism of their formation. Three possible reasons of the crack formation were considered: uncompensated forces caused by thermal expansion of the entire structure, vibration and thermal stresses due local uneven heating of the casing. Observable cracks have different orientations and in some cases are located sufficiently close to each other. This pattern is characteristic for thermal cracks and is not typical for cracks caused by mechanical loads and/or vibrations. Numerical analysis shows that the non-uniformity of temperatures may cause the thermal fatigue cracks despite the fact that the non-uniformity observed on the outer surface of the casing is small enough. Fractography had confirmed the thermo-fatigue nature of the cracks. As a possible measure to prevent cracking the usage of 2-layer casing was analyzed; numerical estimations proved potential effectiveness of such solutions.

Consequences of Financial Vulnerability and Insurance Loading for the Affordability of Earthquake Insurance Systems: Evidence from Iran

Many governments provide financial assistance for reconstruction of damaged housing units after a disaster in order to prevent vulnerable households from falling into poverty traps or entering low growth cycles. To lessen these risks and the overall financial burden on the public sector after extreme events, private insurance schemes provide one viable solution. In this paper, the possible effects of such solutions are assessed for District 1 of Shiraz, Iran, based on recent probabilistic earthquake risk modelling. The work explicitly focuses on the financial vulnerability of different household groups as well as possible increases in premiums due to uncertainties in the underlying risk model through the use of loading factors. The results are compared with current non-probabilistic-based premiums that are used by most insurance companies in Iran, and recommendations are given as to which schemes may fit best or could be affordable for society to manage future earthquake risks.

Analysis of Yielding Steel Arch Support with Rock Bolts in Mine Roadways Stability Aspect

Abstract The result of the search for new technological solutions in the field of support for roadways in coal mines has in recent years been the widespread use of steel arch with rockbolt support systems. The efficiency of these systems is affected among other things by the option of installing rock bolts after the actual driving the mine roadway, the increased load capacity that these systems can support, and their resistance to dynamic weight. Large variation in the way that these steel arch support can be connected using different types of rock bolts necessitates mining research revealing the effectiveness of such solutions. Although the steel arch with rockbolt support system is used in the majority of European coal mines, it is still not possible to apply templates of schemes due to the diversity of geological and mining conditions. Therefore, throughout a period of several years, the authors of this article conducted research in situ under conditions of different schemes related to connecting arched support frames with rock bolts, with only selected results being presented in the article. The measurements of convergence, load supported by the system frame, load supported by the rock bolts, and the stratification of roof rocks were analyzed, carried out in two roadways with yielding steel arch support in which strand bolts were applied. The article also proposes the index for working maintenance nuw, used in preliminarily assessing the stability of a given working with a limited number of data concerning geomechanical conditions. Additionally considered are empirical methods used in Poland for designing steel arch with rock bolt support systems. The results of mine research indicate that strengthening yielding steel support with strand bolts through steel beams maintains the stability of a roadway, even when exposed to the exploitation stress. Aside from the impact of exploitation, deformations of the support system are negligible, despite the fact that the tensile forces acting on the rock bolts can reach values of up to 160 kN. Under favorable geological and mining conditions, support system frames can be spread up to 1.5 m apart when using rock bolts between them. The conducted measurement of convergence during a three year period revealed a compression amounting to a few centimeters. The results obtained by the research fully confirm the effectiveness of combined yielding steel arch with rock bolt support systems under different mining conditions.