Structural Vulnerability Research Articles

Splits in the fabric: A community psychoanalytic project during COVID-19

ABSTRACT Demonstrating how psychoanalysts can be useful in community settings outside the conventional consulting room, this paper describes consultation and group interventions conducted at a San Francisco mental health agency serving a largely Asian community. In the traumatic context of the COVID-19 pandemic, agency staff became fragmented, due to remote working conditions and differential work assignments, including mandated deployments to emergency sites. Two psychoanalysts worked with agency leadership to devise a weekly process group held by video conferencing over 6 months, in an attempt to heal resentments and splits in the fabric of the agency. Examples of the group process, interventions, and major themes that emerged are described, as well as recommendations made, including the formation of an ongoing clinical consultation group. The paper situates these interventions in the greater context of the pandemic which exposed not only a universal threat to life and health, but also structural vulnerabilities organized along lines of (racial) difference and inequity. The dynamics at the agency are thus described as rooted within greater nested histories: of the clinic, its leadership, and their relationship with a strained public health system, and more broadly, of the tangled intersection of these histories with anti-Asian racism. These are understood as manifestations of the Social Unconscious, and the intervention as an example of Community Psychoanalysis.

On the fusion between interferometric satellite data and in situ measurements for the monitoring of built heritage

Over the past decades, earthquakes, and other catastrophic events has highlighted the increasingly growing vulnerability of infrastructures, buildings, and architectural heritage structures. In addition to catastrophic events, often related to climate change, another fundamental aspect is represented by the lack of maintenance and monitoring of the asset. In the field of preservation of buildings and infrastructures, Structural Health Monitoring techniques can effectively contribute to the assessment of the health state of structures. In the case of structural monitoring using data-driven approaches, since the information depends on the type of data used, a great resource for knowing as much as possible about the structure is represented by the combination of multiple data. Thanks to the integration of different types of data, it is possible to know the conditions of the structure in more detail as different aspects can be combined. In this context, together with the data obtained from in situ monitoring systems, data obtained remotely, i.e. satellite data, can be used. There are different types of satellite data that can be used to study different aspects, e.g., multispectral data, hyperspectral data, and interferometric data, and they can make different contribution to civil engineering. In this paper, the exploitability of open-source interferometric data is investigated and they are studied for the purpose of their integration with data obtained from a monitoring system installed on a monumental building, in order to monitor and observe structural health.

Vulnerabilities to disasters in healthcare facilities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review.

This article maps the structural, nonstructural and functional vulnerabilities of healthcare facilities to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reports on a scoping review guided by JBI recommendations and structured by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. The PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, EMBASE, SciELO, Scopus and Web of Science Repositories and databases were consulted, as was the grey literature. The protocol was registered in the Open Science Framework. The 54 studies included summarised 36 vulnerabilities in three categories in 29 countries. Functional and non-structural vulnerabilities were the most recurrent. Limited material and human resources, service disruption, non-COVID procedures and inadequate training were the items with most impact. COVID-19 exposed nations to the need to strengthen health systems to ensure their resilience in future health crises. Prospective risk management and systematic analysis of health facility vulnerabilities are necessary to ensure greater safety, sustainability and improved standards of preparedness and response to events of this nature.

A framework for structural vulnerability assessment with consideration of seismic uncertainty

In recent decades, performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) has been dedicated to the structural vulnerability assessment (SVA) as a critical research area for seismic decision-making. Among the various approaches to SVA, the classical linear regression method (LRM) has gained wide and prominent use. However, the conventional LRM relies on the quantile regression method (QRM) to approximate a deterministic probability density distribution (PSD) of structural fragility against a specific intensity measure (IM) associated with an earthquake. This approach may lack credibility when evaluating a newly occurred seismic event due to its neglect of the seismic uncertainty of stochastic ground motion. To address this concern, this present study introduces a meticulously designed framework that integrates physics-based and machine learning models to probabilistically assess seismic fragility while accounting for seismic uncertainty. Additionally, novel fragility hyperparameters are estimated within this framework. The study provides a detailed elucidation of the underlying design philosophy and the mechanism of translation. In order to validate the proposed method, both the LRM and the new framework are applied to a six-story frame structure, utilizing a novel fully-automatic batch processing approach that combines APDL and coding languages for structural analysis. The comprehensive validation cases convincingly confirm the exceptional capability and significant advantages of the proposed framework in achieving rapid probabilistic seismic fragility assessment, which is of paramount importance to modern PBEE.

Diving into broad-scale and high-resolution population genomics to decipher drivers of structure and climatic vulnerability in a marine invertebrate.

Species with widespread distributions play a crucial role in our understanding of climate change impacts on population structure. In marine species, population structure is often governed by both high connectivity potential and selection across strong environmental gradients. Despite the complexity of factors influencing marine populations, studying species with broad distribution can provide valuable insights into the relative importance of these factors and the consequences of climate-induced alterations across environmental gradients. We used the northern shrimp Pandalus borealis and its wide latitudinal distribution to identify current drivers of population structure and predict the species' vulnerability to climate change. A total of 1514 individuals sampled across 24° latitude were genotyped at high geographic (54 stations) and genetic (14,331 SNPs) resolutions to assess genetic variation and environmental correlations. Four populations were identified in addition to finer substructure associated with local adaptation. Geographic patterns of neutral population structure reflected predominant oceanographic currents, while a significant proportion of the genetic variation was associated with gradients in salinity and temperature. Adaptive landscapes generated using climate projections suggest a larger genomic offset in the southern extent of the P. borealis range, where shrimp had the largest adaptive standing genetic variation. Our genomic results combined with recent observations point to further deterioration in southern regions and an impending vulnerable status in the regions at higher latitudes for P. borealis. They also provide rare insights into the drivers of population structure and climatic vulnerability of a widespread meroplanktonic species, which is crucial to understanding future challenges associated with invertebrates essential to ecosystem functioning.

A Study on Improving the Construction of Tunnel Steel Ribs Using High-Tensile Long Bolts

Steel ribs installed to enhance tunnel stability have consistently been criticized owing to their structural vulnerabilities and on-site construction inconvenience. Therefore, this study aims to address these issues and contribute to safer tunnel construction. To address the structural weaknesses resulting from the reduced steel section at the upper and lower junction parts of the tunnel steel ribs as well as the keystone junction parts, reinforcement was achieved by using long high-tensile bolts and steel bars. Test results on the bending strength of the junction revealed that the upper and lower junction parts exhibited a bending strength 1.38 times higher than those of the general sections of steel ribs, and the keystone junction parts showed a bending strength of 1.70 times higher, meeting or surpassing the equivalent strength criteria. Moreover, by utilizing high-tensile long bolts with adjustable heights, the constructability and construction speed were both enhanced. Consequently, it was determined that construction costs could be reduced by 2.42% and that the construction speed could be improved by approximately 333 h/km.

Experimental and computational study on strain localization of laminated glass polymeric interlayer materials

Recent explosions have prompted researchers to investigate the vulnerability of civil structures, leading to an increased demand for blast-resistant buildings. Laminated glass (LG) panels in glazed facades boost resilience, yet understanding glass fragment interaction with interlayers remains incomplete. This paper presents an integrated experimental-computational study on strain localization in LG polymeric interlayers to accurately simulate their response, addressing this gap. Uniaxial tensile tests were performed on the polymeric interlayer materials polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and SentryGlas® (SG), commonly used in the design of LG in blast-resistant glazing systems. Digital image correlation was used to characterize strain localization within the material. The experimental results were used to calibrate material model parameters to be used in the modeling of LG systems. A three-network viscoplastic (TNV) material model for SG interlayer was calibrated using PolymerFEM software. Yeoh hyperelastic material model parameters were calibrated for the quasistatic response of PVB. A finite element computational model was developed using Ansys LS-DYNA software and validated with experimental data. The study results showcase finite element modeling's ability to accurately predict both the hyperelastic response of PVB and the post-peak large strain behavior of SG interlayer materials by 8% and 3.6%, respectively.

Structural vulnerability and social integration of F-2 visa holders in the United States

Previous studies on spouses of international students do not explore how F-2 visa regulations preventing them from working and becoming full-time students affect their social integration and building social networks. This ethnographic research about 16 formerly employed female spouses of international students in Central University[1] aims to fill this gap, inspired by Holmes's Structural Vulnerability concept (2011), which suggests shifting attention from immigrants themselves to structural powers in order to detect what endangers immigrants’ well-being. Through a multimethod approach, this article shows that F-2 visa regulations limit social integration and building social networks of the participants due to their F-2 visa regulations, and consequently affect their self-esteem, mental health, loneliness, and family relationships of the participants, despite the Central University and related/local offices efforts in integrating them in the society.

Conceptual Design and Structural Performance Analysis of an Innovative Deep-Sea Aquaculture Platform

This paper proposes a conceptual design of an innovative deep-sea aquaculture platform that integrates a steel structural framework and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) floats. It aims to overcome the limitations of prevailing aquaculture equipment, including inadequate resistance to strong wind and waves, complex technologies, and prohibitively high costs. The design scheme and key parameters of the main platform, the netting system, and the mooring systems are presented. Based on the stochastic design wave method, the characteristic load response scenarios and design wave parameters are determined and analyzed. Strength analysis is conducted to assess the structural performance, vulnerabilities, and overall safety of the platform under various characteristic load conditions. The results indicate that the Von Mises stress levels across different sections of the platform conform to the allowable stress thresholds under various characteristic load conditions. However, the stress levels of the platform are notably higher when subjected to characteristic loads associated with vertical shear, vertical bending moments, and torsion about the horizontal axis, which requires further efforts in the design process to enhance the structural safety of the platform. The proposed design methodology and the presented research results can provide a wide range of references for the design and analysis of deep-sea fisheries aquaculture equipment.

Damage‐informed ground motion and semi‐empirical fragility assessment

AbstractCalibrating parametric fragility curves via empirical damage data is one of the standard approaches to derive seismic structural vulnerability models. Fragilities based on empirical data require the characterization of the ground motion (GM) intensity at the building sites in the area affected by the earthquake producing the observed damages. This is commonly conducted via ShakeMap, that is, a map of the expected values of a Gaussian random field (GRF) of the logarithms of a GM intensity measure conditional to magnitude, location, and possibly a set of recordings of the earthquake. Once that intensity and damage data at the same sites are available, the typical approach calibrates a two‐parameter fragility model. However, ShakeMap estimates are affected by uncertainty deriving from that of the GM model used to characterize it. Furthermore, such an uncertainty can be reduced by building damage data, which provide information on the shaking intensity at the sites where damage is observed. It is shown herein that if this uncertainty is not addressed, also considering the shaking information provided by damage, the estimates of the fragility parameters obtained using a median ShakeMap only can be biased, and a recommended maximum likelihood estimation procedure – which exploits the expectation maximization algorithm – is provided. These arguments are illustrated via an application considering damage data from the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake in central Italy.

Analysis of Diaphragm Force on Reinforced Concrete Building Structures with Horizontal Irregularities of Diaphragm Discontinuity

The diaphragm plays a crucial role in distributing seismic forces within buildings during earthquakes, affecting both regular and irregular structures differently. This study investigates the seismic behavior of diaphragms in various building geometries resembling the letters I, T, L, and O, focusing on their influence on structural performance and reinforcement requirements. Using analytical methods, diaphragm seismic forces, slab shear stresses, and internal forces were calculated for a sample of buildings with different geometrical irregularities. The study reveals significant differences in diaphragm earthquake forces between regular and irregular buildings, with irregular geometries exhibiting distinct patterns of shear stress distribution. Particularly, the building with an L-shaped plan and concentrated stress points showed the highest maximum shear stresses in both orthogonal directions. Analysis of internal forces—axial, shear, and moment—highlighted varying reinforcement needs among the studied buildings. While axial and shear forces necessitated minimal additional reinforcement across all structures, moment forces indicated substantial reinforcement requirements, particularly in the L-shaped building. These findings underscore the importance of tailored diaphragm design strategies for buildings with irregular geometries to mitigate potential structural vulnerabilities during seismic events. The study contributes insights into optimizing diaphragm design practices and emphasizes the need for further research in this critical area of structural engineering.

Reasons for enrolling in safer supply programs: A longitudinal qualitative study on participant goals and related outcomes in the MySafe program.

Safer supply programs are a novel response to the ongoing overdose crisis in Canada - providing people at high overdose risk with a safer alternative to the highly toxic unregulated drug supply. The MySafe program provides pharmaceutical-grade opioids to participants via biometric dispensing machines. This study examines program-related goals and related outcomes across time. Longitudinal semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 study participants at baseline and one-year follow-up. Interviews covered program functionality, experiences, outcomes, and reasons for enrollment and engagement. Baseline and follow-up interviews were compared to explore changes over time, including the effectiveness of the MySafe program in supporting individuals' achievement of their stated goals. Most participants reported similar goals at their baseline and follow-up interviews. The most common goal for initiating and staying in the program was to stop or reduce using street-purchased drugs, followed by abstinence, and wanting to stop injecting drugs. A number of participants described goals addressing issues related to structural vulnerability (e.g., improving living situations). At follow-up, some participants reported reducing street-purchased drug use, no participants reported abstinence, and all those wanting to stop injecting drugs reported achieving their goals. Our findings highlight a strong desire among study participants to be separated from the unpredictable street-drug supply. Participants reported variable success attaining their stated goals. However, our results demonstrate the need for such programs to better attend to participant goals, especially those impacted by structural vulnerability, that can be supported with wrap-around social and health care supports.

ტრიფინის პარადოქსი ოცდამეერთე საუკუნეში

This article presents a fresh perspective on the Triffin Paradox, a concept introduced by economist Robert Triffin in the mid-20th century that continues to have a significant impact on global financial systems and policies. Despite the passage of time and the evolution of the economy, the fundamental principles of the Triffin Paradox remain relevant in today's financial discussions. The paper provides a thorough analysis of the ongoing relevance of the Triffin Paradox in the modern global economy. It draws upon historical context, theoretical frameworks, and empirical evidence to shed light on how the paradox continues to manifest itself in the current financial landscape. Specifically, it explores how the dominance of the U.S. dollar as the world's primary reserve currency perpetuates structural imbalances and systemic vulnerabilities, echoing the concerns raised by Triffin. Moreover, the paper delves into the implications of the Triffin Paradox for various stakeholders, including policymakers and central banks. It examines the challenges posed by the pursuit of domestic monetary policy objectives in an interconnected world, where the stability of the global financial system relies heavily on the stability of the reserve currency issuer. Additionally, the paper explores potential strategies for mitigating the risks associated with the Triffin Paradox and fostering a more sustainable international monetary order. By integrating insights from economics, finance, and international relations, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the Triffin Paradox and its enduring significance in shaping contemporary financial dynamics. It emphasizes the need for policymakers and stakeholders to address the inherent structural tensions in the global monetary system, with the goal of promoting financial stability, economic resilience, and inclusive prosperity worldwide.

Remote collaborative framework for real-time structural condition assessment using Augmented Reality

Civil structures worldwide are confronted with a growing threat of structural deterioration, aggravated by various factors such as climate change, population growth, and increased traffic. The latent nature of these issues often leads to undetected vulnerabilities until a catastrophic failure occurs, resulting in substantial losses. To address this challenge, there is a critical need for improved structural monitoring, condition assessment, and maintenance practices. Traditional inspection methods, relying on visual estimation and heavy equipment for inaccessible areas, present formidable obstacles to inspectors. These methods impede the safe and fast examination of structural damage, complicating tracking of structural deterioration, and hindering efficient condition assessment. Recognizing these challenges, this paper proposes a remote collaborative framework to enhance the efficiency of structural inspections by leveraging the capabilities of Augmented Reality (AR), QR code, and 5G network. The proposed framework centers on real-time remote collaboration among on-site and off-site inspectors, aiming to elevate safety, accessibility, and overall inspection efficacy. The integration of real-time data sharing and collaboration facilitates immediate decision-making, enabling inspectors to proactively address structural vulnerabilities and prevent potential failures. This study concludes that the proposed framework effectively facilitates real-time structural condition assessment for on-site AR users. Simultaneously, off-site web users can instantly track the progression of data over time through the utilization of 5G technology. The proposed advanced AR framework effectively demonstrates real-time structural condition assessment through a lab-scale experimental beam and a full-scale bridge.

Assessing the behavior of historic masonry buildings to tornadic events: A comparative study of code-based analysis and point cloud based simulation

During the Midwest Tornado outbreak in December 2021, the historic downtown of Mayfield, Kentucky was heavily impacted. Employing digital documentation, numerical analysis, and on-site wind speed estimations, this study evaluates the behavior of the impacted historic masonry buildings. It explores the structural damages and stress distributions observed in historic masonry buildings impacted by tornadoes, comparing them to predictions made by the ASCE 7–22 standard for tornado loads. Through this investigation, it becomes evident that the stress distribution and damages produced by the on-site tornado wind speeds were significantly different than those derived from the ASCE 7–22 standard. The current standard does not account for most historic structures, typically classified as Risk Category.II. Based on the results of this research, even when these structures are treated as Risk Category III, the stresses estimated by the standard are much lower than the ones experienced on-site. This disparity raises critical questions for preservationists evaluating similar masonry structures in tornado-prone regions. Historic preservation emphasizes minimal intervention, so understanding and addressing the specific vulnerabilities of historic masonry structures to tornadoes is crucial. The analysis in this study identified uplift forces on the roof and high stresses on windward walls as primary causes of damage in these structures, which aligned with the observed collapse mechanisms. Preservationists can use these insights to develop targeted retrofitting strategies that address these vulnerabilities while minimizing impact on the historic fabric. Recognizing these nuances and their impact on structural behavior is crucial for safeguarding the resilience and significance of historic civil structures. Thus, this study lays the groundwork for developing evidence-based, preservation-sensitive guidelines for mitigating tornado damage to irreplaceable historic masonry structures.

A Multilevel Analysis of Individual and Community Factors Associated With Case Dispositions Following Child Maltreatment Investigations.

Understanding service disposition pathways is critical to provide deeper insight into why certain subgroups of the population are at risk for recurrent Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement and may highlight disparities across groups or geographic areas. Using the Decision-Making Ecology Framework as a lens, the present study examines whether service disposition pathways are influenced by risk assessment, safety concerns, child age, maltreatment type, previous CPS involvement, and/or county-level structural vulnerability. We linked administrative data from New Mexico's Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) to data from the American Community Survey. Multilevel models examining associations between case (N = 12,960) and county (N = 33) characteristics revealed that both case (age, maltreatment type, risk/safety assessments, previous CPS involvement) and county-level factors (transportation and housing) were associated with service disposition. Additionally, we observed considerable variation at the county level in both the provision of services and the relationship between risk assessment and service provision. By linking different factors of the decision-making process in child welfare cases to intervention strategies, the analysis reveals that the perception of risk can vary based on geographical context resulting in different outcomes for families who have similar risks but different county-level vulnerabilities.

Selected Errors in Spatial Measurements of Surface Asperities.

This work presents issues related to selected errors accompanying spatial measurements of surface roughness using contact profilometry. The influence of internal heat sources, such as engines or control electronics, on the thermal expansion of the drive responsible for the measurement probe's movement in the X-axis direction was investigated. In terms of starting measurements on a thermally unstable device, the synchronization error of individual profile paths was 16.1 µm. Based on thermographic studies, the time required for full thermal stabilization of this drive was determined to be 6-12 h from when the device was turned on. It was demonstrated that thermal stabilization of the profilometer significantly reduced positioning errors of the measurement probe on the X-axis. Thermal stabilization time should be determined individually for a specific device variant. This research also determined how changes in the center of gravity caused by the measurement probe's movement affected the overall rigidity of the profilometer structure and the leveling of the tested surface. Laser interferometry was used for this purpose. The determined vulnerability of the profilometer structure was 0.8 µm for a measurement section of 25 mm. Understanding the described relationships will reduce errors associated with conducting measurements and preparing equipment for tests. Additionally, it will enable the correct evaluation of surface geometry.

Hybrid seismic vulnerability models for regional structures considering bivariate intensity measures

The multiple-probability decision-making method for earthquake hazards considers multiple performance indicators and can be used to effectively estimate the seismic risk of structures. The seismic vulnerability model directly affects the development of the earthquake risk distribution in regional structures. This paper innovatively developed a bivariate intensity measurement method based on macroscopic and instrumental seismic intensities. An optimized instrument intensity calculation model was established considering the actual monitoring data of historical earthquakes in China. A hybrid seismic vulnerability quantification method based on empirical, expert judgement and analysis has been proposed and applied to evaluate the vulnerability levels of three types of building clusters in two typical earthquakes in Qinghai Province, China (the 2008 Dachaidan (DCD) earthquake and the 2009 Haixi (HX) earthquake). A structural hybrid vulnerability matrix and surface for nine zones based on bivariate intensity measures were developed. A synthetic vulnerability membership index considering fuzzy failure criteria and decision theory was proposed, and vulnerability membership curves for different vulnerability levels were established. An improved earthquake economic loss prediction function is proposed, and synthetic economic vulnerability index prediction models for three typical buildings in different regions are established. The estimated and calculated results of the developed multiscale variable parameter synthetic vulnerability model are highly consistent with the actual earthquake loss observations.

Performance-based fire assessment of a fully automated multi-storey steel parking structure: A computational approach

Conducting a structural fire analysis for automated steel parking structures present a complex challenge due to the vulnerability of steel structures to high-temperature exposure, the unpredictability of fire source locations, and the enhanced thermal loading due to high concentration of vehicles in a compact area. This study conducted a performance-based assessment (PBA) of a fully automated multi-storey steel parking structure under various fire scenarios. The assessment employed Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) to simulate the fire behavior in different scenarios and record the temperature developments within the structure. OpenSees was utilized to perform the subsequent thermo-mechanical analysis and obtain the fire responses of the parking structure. The fire analyses demonstrated that the ignition location and ventilation conditions within the structure considerably affects fire propagation and structural responses. Fire cases initiated on the first floor led to a slightly higher drift ratio than those initiated on the 9th floor. The PBA based on strain and drift ratio led to different results. Cases 1, 2, 4, and 6 maintained life safety based on drift ratios, and strain results indicated a collapse prevention level. For centrally located fire cases, the drift ratios were at collapse prevention level while based on strain values, the elements already exceeded the collapse prevention limit. Under all fire cases, the ultimate performance level of the structure has exceeded the collapse prevention level. The findings highlight the necessity of employing fire safety measures in multi-storey parking structures and enhancing their fire resilience.

A new organizational model of primary healthcare in Liguria, Italy. Insights and implications.

After years of cost-containment policies, the Italian National Health Service (NHS) has now the chance to change and improve, especially thanks to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). The plan serves as a catalyst for reform, allocating substantial funds to reinforce proximity networks, facilities, and telemedicine for territorial healthcare. Mission 6, specifically dedicated to health, focuses on integrating primary healthcare, hospital, and specialty care networks, underscoring the importance of a robust primary healthcare system. In alignment with NRRP objectives, the Ligurian model introduces innovative structures, such as Community Houses (CdCs), Community Hospitals (OdCs), and Territorial Operation Centres (COTs). These interconnected components form a dynamic network designed to enhance healthcare accessibility, prevent inappropriate hospital admissions, and facilitate efficient patient transitions. The model prioritizes multidisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, and the integration of socio-healthcare services. Despite substantial NRRP funding for infrastructure, challenges related to staffing and human resources persist. The social and epidemiological context highlights concern about the economic feasibility of the reform, potential workforce shortages, and the imperative for updated regulatory frameworks. The strategic reallocation of personnel from acute hospitals to new facilities is crucial, requiring meticulous workforce planning, role definitions, and trainingIn conclusion, the Ligurian model emerges as a proactive response to the structural vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic, aligning with international trends in emphasizing primary care, prevention, and community-based services.