Reduces Labor Input Research Articles

Cost-effectiveness evaluation of mass-rearing Cadra cautella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) based on harvest theory for sustainable alternative prey production.

Cadra cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a pest in barn, and its eggs are often utilized as an alternative prey or as hosts for mass production of insect predators and parasitoids. To aid in developing a mass-rearing system for C. castella, the suitability of using an artificial diet based on brown rice flour and whole brown rice was compared using the age-stage, 2-sex life table. Compared with those reared on brown rice, the insects reared on an artificial diet had a shorter preadult period (32.08 vs 37.38 d), higher fecundity (468.14 vs 356.20 eggs/female), greater intrinsic rate of increase (0.1509 vs 0.1145 d-1), and higher net reproductive rate (199.28 vs 103.52 offspring). Small populations were required to rear the moth on an artificial diet to achieve the same daily production of C. cautella. Still, the food expense was only 60.2% of that of C. cautella reared on brown rice. Approximately 99.44% of the eggs in each rearing procedure could be supplied as alternative prey for predators, with the remainder served to maintain the colonies for subsequent batches. Only eggs laid within 6 d would be utilized to ensure the high quality of alternative prey for the mass production of predacious bugs. Additionally, a multifunctional device was designed for moth rearing and egg collection, reducing labor input and minimizing health risks for workers coping with inhaled scales. To encourage the production of natural enemies, a cost-effective diet for maintaining a sustainable colony, and a system for daily egg-harvesting of alternative prey were proposed.

Grain yield and quality responses to nitrogen application rate and timing in dry direct broadcast seeded rice under different weather conditions

AbstractIn rice (Oryza sativa L.) production, dry direct seeding is one of the most essential technologies to reduce labor input and to increase net income. Field experiments were conducted in southwestern Japan in 2019 and 2020 to determine the effects of nitrogen (N) application rate and timing on grain yield, lodging, grain appearance, and protein content in dry direct broadcast seeded rice under different weather conditions. In 2019, plants had larger source ability using the normal solar radiation at the tillering stage, regardless of N application timings. Plants with applied N at the reproductive stage produced the highest grain yield and the highest percentage of undamaged grains under high air temperature condition during the early ripening stage. In 2020, plants did not have larger source ability due to the lower solar radiation at the tillering stage. Plants with applied N at the reproductive stage produced the highest grain yield but produced the highest percentage of green immature grains. These results mean that solar radiation at the tillering stage may be important for increasing grain yield and quality in dry direct broadcast seeded rice. Therefore, since plants grown under normal solar radiation condition at the tillering stage may have large source ability, more N application at the reproductive stage may be recommended to increase grain yield. In contrast, since plants grown under low solar radiation condition at the tillering stage may have small source ability, less N application at the reproductive stage may be recommended to decrease the occurrence of green immature grains.

Integrated assessment of yield, nitrogen use efficiency and ecosystem economic benefits of use of controlled-release and common urea in ratoon rice production

Controlled-release urea (CRU) is commonly used to improve the crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). However, few studies have investigated the effects of CRU in the ratoon rice system. Ratoon rice is the practice of obtaining a second harvest from tillers originating from the stubble of the previously harvested main crop. In this study, a 2-year field experiment using a randomized complete block design was conducted to determine the effects of CRU on the yield, NUE, and economic benefits of ratoon rice, including the main crop, to provide a theoretical basis for fertilization of ratoon rice. The experiment included four treatments: (i) no N fertilizer (CK); (ii) traditional practice with 5 applications of urea applied at different crop growth stages by surface broadcasting (FFP); (iii) one-time basal application of CRU (BF1); and (iv) one-time basal application of CRU combined with common urea (BF2). The BF1 and BF2 treatments significantly increased the main crop yield by 17.47 and 15.99% in 2019, and by 17.91 and 16.44% in 2020, respectively, compared with FFP treatment. The BF2 treatment achieved similar yield of the ratoon crop to the FFP treatment, whereas the BF1 treatment significantly increased the yield of the ratoon crop by 14.81% in 2019 and 12.21% in 2020 compared with the FFP treatment. The BF1 and BF2 treatments significantly improved the 2-year apparent N recovery efficiency, agronomic NUE, and partial factor productivity of applied N by 11.47–16.66, 27.31–44.49, and 9.23–15.60%, respectively, compared with FFP treatment. The BF1 and BF2 treatments reduced the chalky rice rate and chalkiness of main and ratoon crops relative to the FFP treatment. Furthermore, emergy analysis showed that the production efficiency of the BF treatments was higher than that of the FFP treatment. The BF treatments reduced labor input due to reduced fertilization times and improved the economic benefits of ratoon rice. Compared with the FFP treatment, the BF1 and BF2 treatments increased the net income by 14.21–16.87 and 23.76–25.96%, respectively. Overall, the one-time blending use of CRU and common urea should be encouraged to achieve high yield, high nitrogen use efficiency, and good quality of ratoon rice, which has low labor input and low apparent N loss.

NURSING HOME WORKFORCE CHALLENGES: INCREASED NURSING STAFF LABOR COSTS AND USE OF AGENCY STAFF FROM 2017 TO 2021

Abstract Nursing homes face rapidly increasing wages and change their input mix as they face workforce shortfalls. For 15,959 freestanding NHs from 2017-2021, the proportion of hours worked by agency staff and the median wage cost per hour of agency and directly employed nursing staff were calculated from Medicare cost reports and Payroll-Based Journal data. The median hourly wage cost of directly employed staff (wage and fringe) increased 18.1% for RNs (to $41.99 in 2021), 19.8% for LPNs ($32.29), and 27.5% for CNAs ($19.62). The median hourly wage cost of agency staff (amount paid to staffing agency) increased at a faster rate and was substantially higher: 22.8% for RNs ($64.19); 28.3% for LPNs ($52.42), and 34.9% for CNAs ($33.73). The use of agency staff increased, starting from approximately 2% of all nursing staff hours for each of the nursing staff types in Q1 2017 to 5.6% hours for RNs, 9.4% hours for LPNs, and 8.8% hours for CNAs in Q4 2021. These observations have implications for quality and access to nursing home care. High use of agency staff may affect quality of nursing home care, and substantial wage differences between agency and directly-employed staff may affect worker satisfaction and attachment of directly employed workers. Hourly wage costs for all nursing staff have increased more rapidly than nursing home revenues, which only increased 16.6% over the study period; this suggests that, without payment rate increases, nursing homes may reduce labor inputs to contain costs, or may go out of business.

Behavior of lambs and ewes of the Polish Merino and Wrzosówka breeds simulating different conditions of loss during extensive grazing

Extensive sheep grazing carries both benefits and risks. Whereas the benefits include reduced labor input and optimal (close to natural) welfare conditions for sheep, the risks involve a danger of lambs getting lost on the pasture. The objective of this study was to compare the behavior of lambs and their mothers belonging to two breeds (Polish Merino and Wrzosówka) in three experiment systems simulating the conditions in which lambs tend to get lost on the pasture during extensive grazing: 1) with visual and auditory contact, 2) with auditory contact, and 3) without visual-auditory contact with the flock. Two main questions were analyzed about the first three months of the lambs’ life: 1) the time of finding the flock by the lambs and 2) the behavior patterns of the lambs and ewes, such as the lambs’ movements, the lambs’ and mothers’ vocalization, the reaction to the curtain, the reaction to the observer, and the lambs’ behavior in the field. The study found that the flock finding time in the first and third month of the lambs’ life (experiments 1 and 2, respectively) was shorter in the Wrzosówka breed than in the Merino breed (p ≤ 0.05). Regardless of the scenario, the most frequently observed reactions in the lamb flock were flock calling and navigating to the flock by the shortest route. In the absence of visual and auditory contact, the most frequent response of the Polish Merino and Wrzosówka lambs was to run to the top of the hill and search for the flock. In the third month of life, the lambs of both breeds began to show a higher degree of independence, and the observed patterns of their behavior were similar. The results of the study show that in the first two months of life, the Wrzosówka lambs found the flock faster and were better oriented in the field than the Merino lambs. In the third month of life, the differences in the behavior patterns of the two breeds became very small. This finding could indicate that during extensive grazing, lambs of some breeds, especially those subjected to intensive artificial selection such as the Merino breed, may require more care of the breeder in the first two months of their life.

Customer’s Adoption Intentions toward Autonomous Delivery Vehicle Services: Extending DOI Theory with Social Awkwardness and Use Experience

The high demand and acute timeliness that characterizes instant delivery entail the challenges of high labor costs and an increase in courier traffic accidents. Autonomous delivery vehicles (ADVs) may serve as a key solution, with their attendant reduced labor input and higher efficiency. Customers play a key role in the successful implementation of ADVs on a large scale. However, understanding the factors that affect customers’ intentions to use ADVs is still limited. Compared to autonomous driving, ADV customers are ultimately not the real users, who only are served by ADVs during the last leg of a trip. On account of this, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) may not be well-fitted for explaining the dynamics involved in ADV adoption. Within the context of ADVs, our study identified influencing factors that have not been captured by prior studies. This study incorporates infection risk, use experience, and social awkwardness into the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory to explore customers’ intentions to use ADVs. Data from 691 survey respondents were collected to validate the research design. The results demonstrate that compatibility, social influence, infection risk, green image, social awkwardness, and use experience all have a significantly positive impact on customers’ intentions to adopt ADV services, while complexity and perceived risk both exhibited a negative impact. But no effect could be found for relative advantage, which may be because of the fact that customers only need ADVs to meet their delivery demand. This study contributes to understanding customers’ adoption intentions toward ADVs, informing policymakers in formulating ADV regulations and standards, and promoting the large-scale application of ADVs in instant delivery services.

Research and design of capacitance plug-in assembly manipulator

In order to improve the efficiency of PCB (Printed Circuit Board) capacitor plug-in, reduce labor input and improve the accuracy of plug-in, a capacitor plug-in assembly manipulator was designed. The manipulator was mainly composed of X-axis module, Y-axis module and Z-axis module. The mechanical gripper of Z-axis module could adjust the distance between two mechanical grippers to meet the needs of different capacitance sizes. By adopting double z-axis design, the work efficiency of rectangular coordinate manipulator was improved. The addition of the X-ray axis improved the synchronization of the movement at both ends of the X and enhanced the rigidity of the structure. Siemens PLC S7-200 motion library function controlled manipulator grasp, positioning and plug-in. The efficiency of the plug-in unit was 2.5 s/board, and the manipulator could complete capacitor plug-in efficiently and accurately. The whole system has the advantages of high control accuracy, simple operation, stable operation and low noise, and has important practical significance for enterprises.

Constraints in dry chilli cultivation practices and mechanization of harvesting in Southern India

Dry chilli production in India condition faces many challenges apart from adverse weather conditions, labor-intensive production practices and higher overall production costs are limiting profitable dry chilli cultivation. Therefore, a study was carried to know the key constraints in current chilli production practices in eight major production districts of three states. A systematic research and development approach is essential to know the range of constraints and farmers preferences over technological options for field operations. The harvesting operation alone demands 43% of labour 360.5 man-days/ha. So, red chilli harvesting mechanization is a definite immediate requirement to reduce labour input. Farmers (47%) prefer small size self-propelled chilli harvester over tractor operated equipment. In the production catchments, farmer also inferred to change the cultivation practices to mechanize chilli production operations, but 18% of farmers hesitant to adopt one-timeharvesting chilli varieties due to suspicion about the yield potentials.

Perennial Cotton Ratoon Cultivation: A Sustainable Method for Cotton Production and Breeding.

Cotton production is challenged by high costs with multiple management and material inputs including seed, pesticide, and fertilizer application. The production costs can be decreased and profits can be increased by developing efficient crop management strategies, including perennial cotton ratoon cultivation. This review focuses on the role of ratoon cultivation in cotton productivity and breeding. In areas that are frost-free throughout the year, when the soil temperature is suitable for cotton growth in spring, the buds of survived plants begin to sprout, and so their flowering and fruiting periods are approximately 4–6 weeks earlier than those of sown cotton. Due to the absence of frost damage, the ratoon cotton continues to grow, and the renewed plants can offer a higher yield than cotton sown in the following season. Moreover, ratoon cultivation from the last crop without sowing can help conserve seeds, reduce labor inputs, and reduce soil and water loss. In this review, the preservation of perennial cotton germplasm resources, the classification and genome assignment of perennial species in the cotton gene pools, and effective strategies for the collection, preservation, identification, and utilization of perennial cotton germplasms are discussed. Ratoon cultivation is the main driver of cotton production and breeding, especially to maintain male sterility for the utilization and fixation of heterosis. Ratoon cultivation of cotton is worth adopting because it has succeeded in Brazil, China, and India. Therefore, taking advantages of the warm environment to exploit the indeterminant growth habit of perennial cotton for breeding would be an efficiency-increasing, cost-saving, and eco-friendly approach in frost-free regions. In the future, more attention should be given to ratooning perennial cotton for breeding male-sterile lines.

Preparation and application of thidiazuron nanoparticles via electrostatic self-assembly as defoliant in cotton

Nanopesticides can offer some benefits including better spreadability, leaf retention, a reduction usage of active ingredients and environmental pollution. Up to now, the green fabrication of nanopesticide is still a challenge work. In this study, the environmentally friendly thidiazuron-loaded nanoparticles (TDZ NPs) were fabricated through the electrostatic self-assembly by using two ionic polysaccharides chitosan and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SCD). Firstly, thidiazuron (TDZ) was encapsulated by SCD to form the anionic building block, which can form TDZ NPs with the cationic polysaccharide chitosan through the electrostatic self-assembly. The resulting TDZ NPs were in the average size of 137 ± 28 nm, have low polydispersity index (< 0.1). Meanwhile, the TDZ NPs contain positive charge on the particle surface, which can promote the interaction with the leaf surface to improve the spreadability and retention. Moreover, the TDZ NPs can maintain stable for at least four weeks. In terms of biological testing, the defoliation rate of TDZ NPs reached 65.5 ± 5.3%, while the defoliation rate of thidiazuron wettable powder (TDZ WP) was only 44.9 ± 2.5%. Compared with the TDZ WP treatment, the photosynthesis of the leaf was more severely damaged and the release rate of ethylene was increased more by the TDZ NPs treatment. In addition, the expression of GhACS2, GhACO3 and GhERF113 were all up-regulated. The results indicated that TDZ NPs showed better bioactive effects than TDZ WP. And the TDZ NPs prepared by this method is of great significance in improving the quality of cotton in mechanized production, reducing environmental pollution and reducing labor input.

Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Form Trimming Machine for Horticultural Plants

Form trimming is an important practice in horticulture. Currently, handheld trimming tools are the most commonly used in China, which presents certain disadvantages including high human labor input, low productivity and inconsistent performance. In this work, a wheeled form trimming machine was designed for shrub plants with the aim of reducing labor input, increasing efficiency and improving trimming performance. The machine was mainly composed of three parts: a supporting frame, a rotary base and a knife system. The design and construction of the key components of the machine were introduced. The knife system was a combination of multiple cutter units with reciprocating motions. The number of units and their connecting angles could be adjusted to realize different trimming shapes. The knife system was carried by the rotary base and could realize 360° rotations to cut the plants into a desired form. Experiments were performed to determine the optimal working parameters (cutting frequency of the cutter unit and rotating speed of the rotary base). The similarity between the plant profile after trimming and the profile of the knife system and the consumed time in each operation were chosen as two evaluation indexes. Results showed that when the cutting frequency was 16.7 Hz and the rotating speed of the rotary base was 13.5 r/min, the trimming operation could be completed by two circles, and the time consumption was 8.89 s. Furthermore, to test the adaptability of the machine, five different shrub plants were chosen and trimmed by the machine, and results showed that the overall similarity was above 93%. Therefore, the form trimming machine developed could meet the requirements of shrub trimming in horticulture with desirable precision and adaptability.

The Automation of the Mathematical Model of Heated Glasshouses

The analysis of technical operations associated with growing vegetables in glasshouses shows that it is possible to reduce labor inputs and improve the efficiency of indoor growing structures through a specific set of technical solutions. The facilitation of the fundamental improvement of the glasshouse vegetable production technology requires stationary transportation systems and robot hardware. The glasshouses can be classified according to their functional and structural properties: intent, seasonality, growing practices, the type of transparent cover, the type of frame, and heating method. In this case, detailed thermophysical models should not be used. The lack of properly rationalized mathematical models for heated glasshouses holds back their development and improvement. When creating such models, it is necessary to consider heat and mass transfer processes taking place in the glasshouse, the distribution of their parameters, and the accidentality of external impacts. Additional problems arise because the requirements set for models rarely comply with the research goals set or do not reflect the conditions, under which it is used. The suggested balanced dynamic models allow for the extensive use of computers to research heat consumption patterns in glasshouses and synthesize temperature regulators. The mathematic methods for such calculations comprise vector-matrix algebra, for the respective software is widely available on various computers. Growing plants indoors during winters and springs requires the maintenance of climatic factors influencing the growth and development of plants. Due to this, automated control of such factors in compliance with agricultural practices receives great importance. To maintain temperatures automatically in hotbeds, two-position control systems are used. Large glasshouse businesses are currently introducing intensive vegetable growing technologies, and automated workflow control systems based on micro- and minicomputers. Key production activities include the watering and mineral fertilizer dressing of plants. These processes must be automated because they require large labor inputs during the preparation of the solution, the maintenance of the required content proportions, timely feed, and even distribution across all of the glasshouse under various external impacts.

Calculation of Strength of Facing Sheet of Flat Covers of Heat Exchangers Operating Under Vacuum

A procedure has been developed to calculate flat cover facing sheet fixed by electric rivets and welds along its outer and inner contours and loaded with external pressure. The calculation is based on the procedure for calculating key parameters of annular plates clamped along the inner and outer contours. The contours of two adjacent plates lying around the rivets join at a point that is equidistant from the adjacent rivets. Radial and annular stresses in the plates are calculated taking account of the load (design pressure) distributed uniformly over the surface of the plates and of the bending moments obtained from the condition that the angle between the normal and the curved middle surface of the annular plates is zero at the boundary of their joint. The inefficiency of using electric rivets, around which significant radial stresses develop due to their small diameter, is shown. It is recommended that the facing sheet be made in the form of annular plates fixed to the cover by annular welds, which will significantly reduce labor input.

Reducing labor input of monitoring condition of heat exchange equipment surfaces

Deposits on surfaces of heat exchange equipment reduce the heat transfer coefficient, heat exchange efficiency, and lead to significant energy losses. The paper considers a hardware-software complex for monitoring the state of heat exchange surfaces. Studies were carried out using models of surfaces of heat exchange equipment – 400×160×2 mm steel plates, by the method of free vibrations. The studies have shown the possibility of using the method of free vibrations for the detection of deposits on the heat exchange equipment, which reduces energy losses and labor input of monitoring the condition of the surfaces of heat exchange equipment.

Water footprint coupled economic impact assessment for maize production in China

Nowadays, agricultural production places an enormous burden on freshwater resources, and the environmental external cost caused by the restoration of water quality degradation has attracted great attention. Maize is regarded as one of the world's major food security crops, and China is the second-largest maize producer. Thus, this study conducts an impact-oriented water footprint coupled economic impact assessment to quantify the water-related environmental impacts and economic burden caused by China's maize production from 2008 to 2017. Results show that the overall damage to human health and ecosystem quality of China's maize production in 2017 were 4.32 × 104 DALY and 4.62 × 103 Species·yr, respectively. The total economic cost was $ 2.15 × 1011, which included an internal cost of $ 5.99 × 1010 and external cost of $ 1.55 × 1011. Key factor analysis demonstrates that diesel and fertilizer production dominated the reduction in ecological and external cost burdens. Direct water consumption and labor cost played leading roles in human health and internal cost, respectively. The spatiotemporal variation assessment indicates that Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang were the hotspots for water footprint and economic impact assessment results after considering the yield factor. The national average water footprint and economic impact caused by producing 1 ton of maize showed an upward trend from 2008 to 2015, however, a significant decline transpired later. Overall, improving the resource efficiency (i.e., diesel and freshwater), scientific application of fertilizer and reducing labor input can further lessen the water footprint and economic impact of maize production. Developing the social environment can also generate indirect environmental and economic benefits to China's maize production.

Design of Vision Servo Sorting Robot System Based on SVM

Aiming at the problems of the traditional industrial waste disposal, such as heavy workload, low efficiency and poor safety, a single visual servo sorting robot based on SVM is designed. These include intelligent identification and classification systems, and wireless communication systems. The robot adopts a rectangular coordinate robot structure. After collecting picture information, the robot interacts with the upper computer. The SVM algorithm is used to identify and classify the waste material to realize autonomous sorting and transportation of waste material. When the system is applied in practice, it can effectively reduce labor input, improve recovery efficiency, and reduce production costs.

Coupling of Rural Energy Structure and Straw Utilization: Based on Cases in Hebei, China

China’s coal-based energy structure is the main reason for the current high-level air pollution and carbon emissions. Now in the North China Plain, the government is vigorously promoting “coal to gas” and “coal to electricity” in the country and the vast rural areas. The development and utilization of biomass resources in agricultural areas is also an effective means of replacing coal. We propose the idea of forming a complementary rural energy structure of “biogas, briquetting, electricity (BBE)” model based on centralized biogas production (CBP) and straw briquetting fuel (SBF) to improve the rural energy structure. This article uses emergy analysis methods to analyze actual cases. It needs to have strengths and avoid weaknesses in mode selection. The process of the analysis reveals the disadvantages and improvement measures. Under the current capacity load, the emergy input and output, eco-economic indicators, sustainable development indicators, environmental load indicators, and economic value have their own advantages and disadvantages. Assuming 100% capacity load, the indicators have great optimization space. Reducing labor input during the planting phase can effectively reduce emergy input. The government needs to provide corresponding support based on the strengths and weaknesses of the project to keep the project sustainability. The development of complementary integration based on local conditions is an important measure to optimize the energy consumption structure in rural areas and improve the ecological environment.

Transient Lentiviral Vector Production Using a Packed-Bed Bioreactor System.

Scalable lentiviral vector (LV) manufacturing is vital for successful commercialization of LV-based gene and cell therapy products. Accordingly, efforts are currently focused on developing and adapting technologies to address both upstream and downstream production bottlenecks. To overcome the limitations of current upstream processes, researchers are now favoring the use of bioreactors over traditional two-dimensional culture platforms. Bioreactors provide many advantages for manufacturing biomolecules, including process automation, tight regulation of production conditions, reduced labor input, and higher productivity potential. This study describes a transient LV production strategy employing a single-use, packed-bed bioreactor vessel. Functional LV titers in the 106 TU/mL range were achieved, and after concentration yields of up to 109 TU/mL were attained. This proof of principle study demonstrates that LV can be successfully produced in a packed-bed system. With further optimization, a packed-bed bioreactor could offer a potential scale-out solution for LV manufacturing.

Distribution of Load Forces in Hollow Core Slabs of Precast Solid Floor Supported on Bearing Walls

The need to cut construction cost of residential and public buildings and provide them with a free and transformable planning structure during their operation cause interest in building wall systems with a large step of bearing walls. In order to reduce labor inputs and increase rate of construction in such building load-bearing system it is also necessary to maximize the use of large-sized prefabricated products and minimize consumption of in-situ concrete. In this case prefabricated products should be substituted according to the conditions of local (regional) construction industry base and volume of in-situ concrete must be sufficient to ensure a complete redistribution of internal forces between elements of the bearing system under load. As for the described bearing wall system of a multi-storey building the paper presents a flat precast solid floor formed by hollow-core slabs and monolithic crossbars supported by load-bearing walls. The hollow-core slabs supported at the ends on cast-in-place crossbars in the planes of bearing walls are arranged in dense groups between cast-in-place braced cross-beams. Dense contacts between overlapping elements are fixed by internal bonds. New data on distribution of forces in floor elements under the action of a vertical load have been obtained on the basis of full-scale tests and existing theoretical assumptions. It has been established that due to this load reactive thrust forces ensuring an operation of every hollow-core slab group in the floor as an effective solid plate supported along the contour have been originated in the floor plane along two main axes. Calculation of the reactive thrust forces makes it possible more accurately to assess a load-bearing capacity and rigidity of the precast solid floor and to increase a step of bearing walls up to 8 m and more while having hollow-core slabs with a thickness of 220 mm.

К вопросу об использовании пролетного строения в качестве динамического гасителя колебаний мостовых опор

Objective: To identify the area of effective use of bridge span as a tuned mass damper of bridge pier oscillation during earthquake in seismic areas. Methods: Numerical simulation of oscillations of the “bridge pier with span” system under both the impact set by the harmonic rule and the records of past earthquake accelerograms. Results: The area of effective use of bridge span structures as a tuned mass damper of bridge piers’ oscillation during earthquake in seismic areas has been defined. The concept of the relative critical mass of the span used as a tuned mass damper of bridge piers’ oscillation during earthquake has been introduced. When the spun structure mass reaches the critical value, the effect of the tuned mass damper disappears. The dependences of the optimal parameters of the connection between the span and pier on the relative span mass used as a tuned mass damper have been obtained. It has been found that the span critical mass used as a tuned mass damper decreases when the pier damping increases, and the dependences of the optimal parameters of the connection between the span structure and the pier on the damping in the pier body have been obtained. Practical importance: The possibility of using span as a tuned mass damper of piers is shown. The optimum characteristics of the span and its connection with the pier body have been obtained to be used in designing. The use of span as a tuned mass damper in piers can significantly reduce labor input and the cost of bridge building in seismic areas. It also facilitates the elimination of consequences of devastating earthquakes.