Traditional Connection Research Articles

Research on the Control System for the Use of Biogas Slurry as Fertilizer

Due to its rich nutritional composition, biogas slurry can serve as a special liquid fertilizer. However, the application of slurry in agricultural fields currently faces challenges such as reliance on skilled famers’ experience, low precision, and difficulty in accurately controlling the irrigation dosage. To address these issues, an agricultural biogas slurry mixing agricultural machinery and its system has been designed and developed with the aim of enhancing the precision and safety of slurry application. The structure of the device has been designed, filter components have been selected, and improvements have been made to the structure of traditional connectors. Taking into account factors such as soil and humidity, an algorithm based on biogas slurry conductivity for slurry mixing decisions and the feedback control mechanism has been designed. After assembling the prototype, experiments were conducted, and the results showed that after processing by the system, compared to the calculated theoretical optimum, the concentration error of each component in the mixed fertilizer was controlled within 10%, and the conductivity fluctuation range was within 5%. This indicates that the overall ratio accuracy and stability of the biogas slurry mixing system are high. The biogas slurry mixing agricultural machinery and its system provide a novel intelligent equipment solution for the precise application of slurry, effectively enhancing the accuracy and safety of slurry application, reducing the use of chemical fertilizers during agricultural irrigation, and minimizing pollution to the environment and soil.

Experimental, theoretical, and numerical evaluation of innovative precast-slab-joint connections under tensile scenarios

Four innovative mechanical connectors designed for improving the integrity of untopped flat diaphragms are proposed. Compared to traditional connectors, the innovative connectors avoid premature weld tearing, possess higher strength and ductility, which are not only suitable for double-tees but also applicable to untopped flat slabs with lower structural heights and smoother undersides. This allows for greater story heights or more stories within the same building height, which is important in driving the development of fully assembled structures. This paper summarizes the tensile performance of innovative connectors observed during the cyclic loading scenarios. Four sets of single-slab experiments were conducted, with each set consisting of a pair of connectors. Based on experimental findings, the theoretical formulas for connection strength and stiffness were provided. Connector optimization was performed in conjunction with the failure modes. Finally, using numerical simulation techniques, a parameter analysis was conducted on the influence of steel plate (or rebar) thickness (or diameter) and material strength on the resistance and deformability of innovative connectors. The results indicated that innovative connectors fully developed the ductility of steel and achieved a ductile failure mode. The strength and deformability of optimized connectors were improved due to the strong anchoring of L-shaped steel plate. The thickness (or diameter) of steel plate (or rebar) and the steel grade significantly impacted the tensile performance of the connectors. Design and application recommendation were proposed for innovative connectors.

Novel tubing connectors reduce ECMO circuit thrombosis.

Thrombosis within extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) circuits is a common complication that dominates clinical management of patients receiving mechanical circulatory support. Prior studies have identified that over 80% of circuit thrombosis can be attributed to tubing-connector junctions. A novel connector was designed that reduces local regions of flow stagnation at the tubing-connector junction to eliminate a primary source of ECMO circuit thrombi. To compare clotting between the novel connectors and the traditional connectors, both in vitro loops and an in vivo caprine model of long-term (48 h) ECMO were used to generate tubing-connector junction clots. In vitro, the traditional connectors uniformly (9/9) formed large thrombi, while novel connectors formed a small thrombus in only one of nine (p < 0.0001). In the long-term goat ECMO circuits, the traditional connectors exhibited more thrombi (p < 0.04), and these thrombi were more likely to protrude into the lumen of the tubing (p < 0.001). Both in vitro and in vivo validation experiments successfully recreated circuit thrombosis and demonstrate that the adoption of novel connectors can reduce the burden of circuit thrombosis.

Numerical Simulation of T Joints Constructed from Hollow Steel Sections

Welded structural hollow sections are becoming increasingly used in contemporary civil engineering buildings. More specific design techniques are needed for connections in steel structures with welded structural hollow sections than for traditional connections made with gusset plates. At the connecting site, stress and local deformations show very complex, non-linear behaviors. The application of non-linear numerical analyses to determine the ultimate bearing capacity of “T” connections was demonstrated in this study. A non-linear material model was used in the analysis. In order to validate the applicable steel modeling method, a comparative study between experimentally obtained results and analytically and numerically computed ultimate bearing capacities was carried out. The comparison showed good agreement between the numerical and experimental results and pointed out the highly conservative design of such joints was obtained using the analytical solution.

Deeds of Will on Papyrus and the Use of the Term διαθήκη in the Letters of Paul

AbstractThe numerous testaments on papyrus provide a valuable basis for an investigation of legal language around διαθήκη in the Pauline letters. Of particular importance is the ancient practice of revoking wills, which I consider to be the legal frame of reference for the recipients of the Pauline letters to grasp expressions like καινὴ/παλαιὰ διαθήκη. In the Corinthian correspondence the conformity to the current legal practice is evident, but in Galatians Paul turns the whole procedure upside down, manipulating in the construction of his argument not only the practice of testamentary cancellation, but also the traditional connection of Abraham with circumcision. We are compelled to a text-internal solution of the problem in Gal 3.15–17 by the fact that the papyrological evidence shows clearly that no other type of document than the ordinary revocable διαθήκαι can be taken into consideration. This approach is not compilatory, as it is often the case when dealing with documentary papyri applied to New Testament texts, but heuristic, with the purpose of elaborating new exegetical insights in old controversies.

Experimental Study on Hysteretic Performance of Steel Moment Connection with Buckling-Restrained Dog-Bone Beam Sections

Steel beam–column connections with dog-bone beam sections have gained significant attention and have been extensively applied. This is attributed to their ability to effectively centralize and integrate plastic hinges, thereby diverting potential damage away from the beam ends during earthquake events. In order to achieve the enhancement of the ductility and energy dissipation of connections by inhibiting local buckling during an earthquake event, a novel steel moment connection with buckling-restrained dog-bone beam sections was proposed in this paper. There were three types of proposed connections according to the different arrangements of restrained steel plates, including arranging the restrained plates only on the flanges, only on the web, and on both the flanges and webs of the dog-bone beam sections. In this study, three specimens with buckling-restrained dog-bone beam sections and one control specimen with a dog-bone beam section were tested under cyclic loading. The failure modes, hysteretic curves, skeleton curves, stiffness degradation ductilities, displacement ductility ratios, and energy dissipation capacities of the specimens were analyzed based on the experimental results to evaluate the seismic behavior of the proposed connections. The results indicated that the local buckling of the proposed connections was significantly reduced compared with the traditional connection with a dog-bone beam section under the condition of keeping the plastic hinges away from the beam–column connection core. The arrangement of the restrained plates in the dog-bone beam section had little effect on the bearing capacity and the initial stiffness, with errors all being within 6%. It is worth mentioning that the connection with restrained plates only on the flanges in the dog-bone beam sections showed a more obvious improvement in the deformation capacity and energy dissipation capacity of the connection, which increased by 21% and 16%, respectively. Additionally, high-quality welding between the beam and column, smooth cutting shapes on the weakened flanges, and the high-quality drilling of long slots at the fixed point in the restrained plates and the dog-bone beam sections should be guaranteed to improve the hysteretic stabilities of the proposed connections.

Вл.С. Соловьев и «Новое время»: жанровое разнообразие философской публицистики

The traditional connection between philosophy, literature and journalism in Russian culture has led to increased interest in issues of social development, the meaning of human existence, morality and ethics on the pages of small periodicals, weekly and daily newspapers. Often judgments about new trends in literature (F. Bulgakov, N. Engelhardt, P. Weinberg, etc.) turned into independent philosophical and journalistic statements. The article updates the term “philosophical journalism” in the context of the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. The specificity and genre diversity of this phenomenon are revealed through the analysis of texts associated with the name of Vl. Solovyov in the newspaper “Novoye Vremya”. In this regard, special attention is paid to the controversy between S. Syromyatnikov and P. Parensov, which reflects not only the perception of the ideological and philosophical system of Vl. Solovyov by the authors of a popular periodical, but mainly one of the ways of forming philosophical journalism of the Silver Age. 510 issues of the newspaper “Novoye Vremya” (November–December 1902, February–December 1903, February–May 1904) were selected as sources.

Experimental longitudinal shear testing of novel and traditional shear connectors in double-wythe cavity masonry walls

Double-wythe cavity masonry walls are made of two masonry layers (wythes) – an inner structural wythe typically made from concrete masonry units and an outer façade layer usually made from bricks. Insulation layer and an air gap exist between wythes. Connectors transmit load from the façade to the structural layer. Connectors are typically designed to carry axial forces, but not shear. Their ability to transmit shear, however, is important to achieve composite behaviour between wythes and increase wall capacity under out-of-plane loads. In this study the performance of a novel inclined connector is examined, along with more traditional connectors, through longitudinal shear testing in 38 double-wythe, small-scale specimens. Test parameters include plate connector orientation (horizontal and vertical), tie embedment length, and veneer type (concrete brick, clay brick). The traditional connectors are made of slotted steel plates. The novel connector is also made of slotted steel plates but placed at an inclination in the cavity. The inclination better utilized material making it reach larger stiffness and strength than traditional plate connectors. With the intention of increasing the resistance of the system, ties with various embedment lengths were used with the vertically placed traditional and novel connectors. The stiffness and strength of the novel connector were significantly larger than the vertically and horizontally oriented traditional connector. The larger strength of the inclined connector enables it to be utilized with wider spacing in a full-scale wall compared to a traditional plate connector, leading to potential savings in materials and labour. Failure of the novel connector was a combination of buckling and pullout of the ties, while that of the traditional connector was due to twisting.

Analysis on Shear Resistance of Joint and Structural Mechanical Response of Assembled Composite Beam Joints

This article systematically studies the shear characteristics and structural mechanical response characteristics of composite beam joints. The results indicate that the shear stiffness of the connector is between 1000 N/mm and 2500 N/mm, with high stiffness performance. Meanwhile, as the stiffness increases, the frequency of the structure shows a significant increasing trend, indicating that high stiffness helps to improve the stability of the structure. In the trend chart of shear characteristics and performance of connectors over time, the shear characteristics of connectors significantly increased between 2018 and 2023, with an average shear strength increasing from 1500 N to 2100 N, an increase of 40%. By studying the static and dynamic response characteristics, as well as the bearing capacity, stability, and fatigue performance of composite beams. The results indicate that the response characteristics of the new connector are significantly better than those of traditional connectors. Based on the research results, this article proposes strategies and suggestions for optimizing connector design and improving overall structural performance, providing important theoretical support and practical guidance for practical engineering applications. This study not only enriches the theoretical system of composite beams, but also has important significance in promoting technological progress in related fields.

Strength and ductility improvement of the axial gradient microstructure TC21 titanium alloys manufactured by electropulsing plus step-quenching treatment

In order to reduce the weak area caused by traditional connection method and improve the structural efficiency of aircraft, the design concept of an integral component with dual microstructure is proposed. The electropulsing treatment (EPT) was used to produce an axial gradient microstructure (AGM) in TC21 titanium alloy, followed by the step-quenching treatment (SQT) to tailor the precipitation behavior of the α phase. Results demonstrate that the AGM produced by the combination of EPT and SQT achieves a simultaneous enhancement in both strength and plasticity of the alloy. Compared to EPT alone, the SQT results in the dissolution of the bimodal microstructure region with small-sized α phase, and an increased density of secondary α phase precipitation in both the transition and lamellar microstructure regions. During room temperature tensile deformation, coordinated distribution of deformation occurs sequentially in various regions, the 101̅0112̅0type of prismatic slip and deformation nanotwins exist in the equiaxed and lamellar α phase, respectively. Moreover, the deformation gradually declines from the bimodal region to the lamellar region, leading to the fracture of AGM in the bimodal region and an overall augmentation of the strength and plasticity of TC21 alloy. Hence, the results of this paper can provide research basis for the strength and plasticity improvement and deformation damage mechanism of high strength and toughness titanium alloy.

Mechanical properties of CFST column with bolt-welded joints under eccentric compression

With the increase of arch bridge span and difficulty in welding construction, the traditional connection method of arch rib steel tube cannot satisfy the requirements of construction safety and economy. In this paper, a new bolt-welded connection method for arch rib of long-span Concrete Filled Steel Tubular (CFST) arch bridge is proposed, which can avoid the stress redistribution of joints of arch rib caused by cutting the joint flange in the traditional connection method. In order to study the mechanical properties of the bolt-welded joint of CFST, the eccentric compression scale tests were carried out, and the finite element model is validated based on the experiment. The parameter analysis was performed and the calculation formula of eccentric bearing capacity of bolt-welded joint of CFST is proposed. The results show that the bolt-welded joint can significantly improve the stiffness, stability and effectively avoid buckling at the joint. With the increase of steel tube strength, core concrete strength and steel ratio, the bearing capacity of bolt-welded joints of CFST significantly improved, and the bearing capacity of bolt-welded joints under small eccentric is better than welded joints. The bolt-welded area ratio is recommended not to exceed 0.3. The calculation results of the proposed formula are consistent with the experimental and simulated results.

Connection number structure-based information diffusion model for agricultural drought disaster risk assessment: A case study in Jianghuai watershed area

The information diffusion model is widely used in natural disaster risk assessment because of its operationalization, low data requirements and clear significance of the evaluation results. However, the commonly used normal information diffusion model is based on an average distance assumption, and the diffusion widow with h is directly affected by sample size and extreme values, especially when the sample size is more than 11, which may lead to unstable results of normal diffusion, with typical uncertainty. Considering the influence of the whole samples on the diffusion points, incorporating the connection number method, a connection number structure-based information diffusion model was proposed, and also a relative connection number method is proposed to calculate the connection number, which was applied to the risk assessment of drought disasters in Jianghuai watershed area. The results show that the connection number structure-based information diffusion model reduces the direct influence of sample extremes and sample size, eliminates the constraint of the average distance assumption in the traditional model, and performs more consistently with increasing sample size for risk assessment. And the relative connection number method can contain the traditional connection number expression and offers a wider application. A study of drought risk in the Jianghuai watershed shows that the indices of agriculture drought-suffered, drought-affected and drought-damaged fluctuated greatly, but the trends were generally consistent with each other from 1990 to 2020. It is more likely to suffer from drought in the area, but the disaster rate after drought tends to decrease over time. With the increase in drought intensity, the disaster risk will decrease significantly compared to the drought risk. The connection number structure-based information diffusion model has no two-point proximity principle and the average distance assumption, with better stability in the disaster risk assessment for different samples size compared with the traditional model, which will have more extensive application in risk assessment.

Experimental investigation of assembly-oriented steel column-beam connection with transverse reverse channels for prefabricated structures

The purpose of this study is to experimentally investigate the mechanical behaviour of the innovative steel column-beam connection involving transverse reverse channels in prefabricated structures with the aim of improving the assemblability during the construction processes. A series of experiments were performed on steel square hollow section (SHS) column and H-section beam connection involving three different transverse reverse channel configurations, i.e., unstiffened transverse reverse channel (UTC), between-channel stiffened (BCS) transverse reverse channel, and in-channel stiffened transverse reverse channel (ICS). The traditional connection involving vertical reverse channel (VRC) was also tested as the control to evaluate the mechanical performance of the new column-beam design, such as flexural resistance, strain distribution and failure modes. The experimental results demonstrate that stiffening the transverse reverse channels internally (ICS) could significantly strengthen the flexural resistance of the connection and the out-of-plane rigidity of the channel web. For example, the flexural resistance of ICS connection is more than 50% and 100% higher than that of the VRC and UTC connection, respectively. However, stiffening between the two transverse reverse channels externally (BCS) has little influence in the flexural resistance of the connection. The failure of the ICS connection is mainly due to the buckling of the beam, while UTC and BCS connections fail because of excessive deformation of the transverse reverse channels. Theoretical formulas can conservatively estimate the bending bearing capacity of those connections.

ON THE CRISIS OF CULTURE AND MAN IN THE «FAR-FETCHED» TRADITIONALISM OF R.GUENON

The problem of the crisis situation of Western European culture at the beginning of the 19th century became the central problem in the ideological heritage of R. Guenon. In his reflections, the French thinker turns to the consideration of the role and significance of traditions in the life of a person and society. R.Guenon fills the term “tradition” with his semantic load, making this term a key element in his philosophy. The reflexive space of Guénon’s philosophy is the sphere of the philosophy of religion and it is difficult to attribute it to the sphere of religious philosophy. This difficulty lies in the departure of the French thinker from the traditions of the Christian worldview to the ideological foundations of Eastern mysticism, agnosticism and theosophical views. Perhaps it is these preferences of Guénon that lead the researchers of his work to the idea that he is, in a certain sense, the “forerunner” of the postmodern era in Europe. Tradition and the crisis of traditions for the philosopher are considered as the main subject of study. The scale of historical and philosophical analysis is taken by the thinker without embarrassment as wide as possible. Ultimately, the very crisis of culture for Guenon can and must serve as a transition to a new stage in the development of culture. In this new stage, a syncretic creative renewal of world religions on the basis of the Eastern mysteries will take place. The cyclic concept of the author’s history does not retain its traditional connection with the Christian understanding of the future, the loss of the Christian eschatological understanding of man. the Renaissance is declared a break point with the traditional understanding of being. For a philosopher, tradition is not reduced to folk custom. And already at this stage, we are witnessing Guénon’s attempt to give the established philosophical terms their own sound, fitting them to his concept and esoteric context.

Sogdian Dahai and the Formation of the Arsacid State

Key words: the Aparns, the Xanthi, the Pissurs, the Achaemenids, Parthia, Soghdiana, Bactria, Strabo, Arshak I, Diodotos I, Evtidemos I At the beginning of 4th century BC, the Dahai tribes of the Xanthi and Pissurs were ousted from the steppes of left bank of Amu Darya’s delta by newly independent Khorezm. They received from the Achaemenid king Artaxerxes II a new migration area in Soghdiana, in the Zeravshan basin. As a result of this resettlement, the three-tribal union of Dahai practically split into two parts. Their traditional connections and centralized control system were broken. The Sogdian Dahai adapted to the satrapy administration of Bactria and remained loyal to the Achaemenid dynasty until the end. However, in 327 BC, after the establishment of Macedonian rule in Soghd, their condition began to deteriorate. The policy of tight control over the nomads by the Macedonian administration of the “Upper satrapies” changed the previously normal and mutually beneficial coexistence of the nomadic and settled population of the oases into hostile relations. The condition of the Sogdian Dahai especially deteriorated during the reign of the Bactrian king Diodotos I, and after the reign of Evtidemos I (225 BC) it became hopeless. An important impetus for their migration to the eastern shores of the Amu Darya was the call for help from King Arshak I, the leader of the Apars tribe. After the first unsuccessful attempt to conquer Parthia, the latter faced the task of expanding its social base, which, in fact, he could only do by resettling kindred Dahai tribes. The resettlement of the Sogdian Dahai, or, as Justinian calls them, “the ones expelled from Scythia” to the “country opposite to Areia” began gradually, and most of them settled here after 217 BC, the period when Arshak I conquered Parthia for the second time. After more than a century of separation, the two parts of the Dahai Union reunited again, but in new administrative and political realities, under the royal rule of Arshak I, the leader of the Apars. The immigration of the Xanthi and the Pissurs sharply increased the military potential of Arshak I, due to which he not only conquered Hyrcania in a short time, but also opposed the Greco-Bactrian kingdom. On the other hand, participation in the Arsacid State formation and the Dahai’s dominance preservation over the population of Parthia and Hyrcania, provided the tribal lider clans of Xanthi and the Pissurs with the right and opportunity to claim a high position in the newly created socio-political system of the Arsacid State.

Solid-state bonding process induced highly synergistic mechanical properties of 6061 Al alloy joint by shear deformation

Obtaining a highly synergistic mechanical property between joint and base metal (BM) in aluminum (Al) alloy is a chronic problem. In this work, shear bonding technology is applied to a commercial 6061 Al alloy. The results show that a flat and uniform joint interface is obtained. The joint presents a highly synergistic mechanical property compared with BM, whether after shear bonding or heat treatment. The joint coefficient reaches 95.6% after shear bonding and exceeds 100% after heat treatment, which is better than the traditional connection method of aluminum alloy. The high joint coefficient mainly originates from the well-linked joint and gradient grain structure. The gradient grain structure is beneficial to activate more slip systems to coordinate plastic deformation. Although the fine-grained structure is sacrificed after heat treatment, higher strength and joint coefficient are obtained due to the higher work hardening. This newly developed method has a large potential for application to the infinite rolling of Al alloy sheets and can also be used for Al alloy connection in automobile, aerospace, rail transportation, and other fields. The findings in this work can provide essential theoretical support and application reference for the shear connection of Al alloy.

Selling the indigenous in Nordic welfare states: examples from Norway and Sweden

ABSTRACT Indigenous peoples’ right to control representations of their own culture and heritage is unquestionable, but in the case of tourism activities other stakeholders’ understandings come into play. The nation-state is still an important organizational foundation for tourism. For the Indigenous Sámi people, who are located in four different nation-states, national destination management organizations (DMOs) have a crucial role in how their culture and traditions are represented. The current study examines the content of Visit Norway and Visit Sweden’s visual marketing of indigenous Sámi tourism products. Using content analysis to sort electronic images and related texts, categories distinguishing natural, human, and other types of relevant symbols were created. The marketing strategies of both countries reinforce the traditional connection of the Sámi people to nature and their reindeer. Visit Sweden uses a distinct notion of what we call the artification of the Sámi, where young female artists contribute to the modern image of this indigenous people. Visit Norway continues to use more stereotypical representations of the Sámi, with a focus on colourful outfits and traditional buildings. Thus, tourism marketing continues to reinforce simplified images of the indigenous populations of the Arctic and their relation to the nation-state.

Reinforcement detailing of connections between perpendicular hollow precast walls

The pre-wall system can be used in the construction of buildings, with multiple advantages in terms of production time and environmental impact. This type of walls is formed by two thin precast concrete panels, linked with steel trusses to create a hollow precast wall module, which are assembled at construction site, adding reinforcement in critical regions, namely, in connections, and casting concrete into the core. Recently, the durability and sustainability of this wall system were enhanced, using a high-durability concrete only in the cover and for the core was used a concrete that combines low cement dosage with lightweight aggregates. This paper presents a study, with both experimental and numerical components, developed to characterize the behaviour of corner connections between two perpendicular pre-walls. The connections between perpendicular pre-walls are must more complex than traditional connections made in situ because the space to define the reinforcement detailing is very limited, making difficult to assure a proper transmission of the internal stresses between the two walls. Different amounts of reinforcement, concretes mixtures and reinforcement detailing were tested. Nine numerical simulations were also performed to further enrich the results discussion. Cracks pattern, deformation, strength and stiffness were analysed. Conclusions are drawn and guidelines are proposed to design this type of connections between pre-walls.

Analysis of Hollow Section “Y” Connections with the Application of Non-Linear Material Modeling

The use of welded structural hollow sections in civil engineering is relatively new. Design of connections in steel structures with welded structural hollow sections requires a more specified approach, compared to traditional connections achieved with gusset plates. Stress and local deformations at the connection area are non-linear and very complex. This paper presents the application of non-linear numerical analysis for the determination of the ultimate bearing capacity of “Y” connections. In the analysis, a non-linear material model was applied. In order to validate the applied method of steel modelling, comparative analysis of the analytically and numerically determined ultimate bearing capacity with the experimentally obtained results has been conducted.

Direct shear strength of UHPC-based gravity-type grouted sleeve connection members

This study aims to clarify the shear mechanism and strength of a new gravity-type grouted sleeve connection using ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). Direct shear tests were conducted to investigate the shear performance of the UHPC-based connection. The test results showed that the shear strength of the UHPC-based connection is at least 50% higher than that of the traditional connection. Also, the failure mode of the UHPC-based connection is more like that of the cast-in-place (CIP) specimen than the traditional one. Based on the analysis of the shear mechanism, the formulas were proposed to predict the shear strength of the UHPC-based connection. The shear strengths obtained from the proposed formulas are in good agreement with the experimental data. To further verify the proposed formulas and investigate the shear performance, the finite element (FE) modeling method was also developed for the UHPC-based connection. It was found that the numerical results are consistent with the experimental data and the analytical results derived from the proposed formulas, indicating the applicability of the proposed formulas and FE modeling method. Parametric studies indicated that the shear strength is more sensitive to the axial load level than concrete strengths and reinforcement ratios.