http://yetl.yabesh.ir/yetl1/handle/yetl/19007 2026-04-20T09:16:52Z 2026-04-20T09:16:52Z Peifeng Han Guocheng Yang Ji Zhang Hongzhi Qiu Qiang Cai Shujun Tian http://yetl.yabesh.ir/yetl1/handle/yetl/4309919 2026-02-16T21:55:07Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Research on the Fracture Mechanism of Bridge Piers Damaged by Jointed Rolling Stones Peifeng Han; Guocheng Yang; Ji Zhang; Hongzhi Qiu; Qiang Cai; Shujun Tian This paper investigates rockfalls, focusing on their interaction with bridge piers through physical experiments and numerical simulations. It analyzes the instability and breakage of fissured rock masses, often triggered by earthquakes, and their effects on bridge structures. By employing the discrete-element method, the study explores the dynamic responses of bridge piers to rock impacts and offers insights for mitigating rockfall hazards. Results showed that, first, increasing preexisting cracks in rolling stones leads to increased damage, with the most severe damage observed at slope angles between 60° and 75°. Second, as slope angle increases, bridge pier damage becomes more severe. At 60°, the depth of surface damage to the bridge pier was the greatest, with the pier experiencing its maximum lateral displacement. At 75°, the average length of concrete cracks and indentations on the pier surface reached a maximum of 2.95 cm. Third, the fragmentation of rolling stones increases their speed and reduces their potential energy, and the slope angle increases the kinetic energy and velocity of the rolling stones, reaching a peak at 75° for moderately and weakly bonded stones. Finally, the fragmentation of rolling stones significantly reduces their impact force. Hence, the effects of stone fragmentation cannot be overlooked in practical scenarios. Damage to bridge piers increases with the slope angle.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Hujun Li Zhen Wang Mingyang Wang http://yetl.yabesh.ir/yetl1/handle/yetl/4309918 2026-02-16T21:55:04Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Influence of Duration at the Entrance on Distribution of Blast Loadings in Corrugated Steel–Lined Tunnels Hujun Li; Zhen Wang; Mingyang Wang Corrugated steel structures have been found to have outstanding blast resistance and enable rapid attenuation of blast waves in tunnels. The propagation of blast waves is influenced by the structural parameters and duration of blast waves at the entrance in tunnels, forming various blast loadings. To investigate the effect of duration at the entrance in corrugated steel–lined tunnels, trinitrotoluene (TNT) and aluminized explosives were used to obtain various durations of blast waves at the entrance in testing. A series of simulations was designed and verified, in which the effect of duration at the entrance was analyzed under the same scaled distance. The variation caused by duration and linings on loading curves was analyzed, and the influence mechanisms of the duration at the entrance and the linings on blast waves were discussed using pressure nephograms. Meanwhile, the distribution of blast loadings under different conditions was obtained. A prediction model for the distribution of peak blast loading in corrugated steel–lined tunnels (CSLTs) was established, considering the duration at the entrance. The results showed that corrugated steel linings destroyed the reflection conditions on a flat wall surface, resulting in longer periods of loading fluctuations. A longer duration of blast waves at the entrance extended the distribution of blast loadings and even resulted in a significantly higher peak loading appearing after the first peak near the entrance, altering the characteristics of loadings.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Qozeem O. Abiona Monique H. Head http://yetl.yabesh.ir/yetl1/handle/yetl/4309917 2026-02-16T21:54:56Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Determination of Bridge Elements’ Weights Using the Random Forest Algorithm Qozeem O. Abiona; Monique H. Head Significant bridge inspection data has been collected over the years at the component and element level to improve management practices in the United States. A widely adopted systematic approach to correlate the weight or importance of the bridge elements to the overall bridge performance, which influences the maintenance, repair, and replacement (MRR) schedule and resource allocation for structures, does not exist given the existing data. Some transportation agencies use a cost-based approach to assign weights to bridge elements, which can be in terms of the loss accrued during downtime or the amount needed for the replacement of the element. However, this approach does not consider the bridge elements’ structural relevance to the overall performance of the bridge. This study proposes a novel framework to synthesize component and element-level bridge data to showcase their relationship using the random forest algorithm, which is essentially an ensemble of decision trees to evaluate the importance of different elements relative to the overall condition of the bridge. The analysis focused on eight bridge design types predominant in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, and analyzed 104,699 bridge records consisting of the condition rating and element-level data from the National Bridge Inventory (NBI). The random forest algorithm showed that bridge elements’ weight (or importance) is not constant as implied by the cost-based approach; rather, bridge elements’ weight varies based on their relevance to the bridge’s structural performance. The resultant bridge elements’ weight, which is the element weight multiplied by the component weight, can be used to improve the existing Bridge Health Index (BHI) equation found in the Manual for Bridge Evaluation (MBE) using this data-driven approach. Given more available component and element-level bridge data, this formulation provides a framework for transportation personnel to determine which set of bridge elements to prioritize in their maintenance actions and ascertain if the elements receiving the highest priority in the MRR schedule and budget allocation are also the same set of elements that bridge inspection reports regard as needing attention. The United States bridge inventory is made up of several bridge design types with distinct deterioration characteristics based on their structural configuration and needed to make decisions about maintenance and repair strategies. However, the method currently adopted by bridge owners to prioritize the repair of the many bridge parts (or elements) is largely dependent on the cost of repair and economic loss at the downtime of such elements as decided by experts, which introduces personal bias and does not account for the distinctions among the different bridge types available in the inventory (Chase et al. 2016; Inkoom and Sobanjo 2018). Given nationwide efforts to collect bridge inspection data, it is essential to consider a data-driven approach that derives the bridge elements’ importance from historical bridge inspection data and separates the bridge inventory into design types to innovatively determine the bridge elements’ importance (or weight) needed to compute the overall bridge health using historical condition state and condition rating data of bridge elements and components. This helps to capture in real time how the deterioration of one bridge part affects another part, which in turn helps to identify the bridge elements that most influence the overall condition of the bridge when prioritizing bridge repairs using the random forest algorithm. This paper showcases a data-driven approach within a novel framework used to assess the overall bridge health using random forest algorithms that track how the deterioration of small bridge elements affects the condition of the bridge components they are attached to, and the overall bridge condition, thus potentially improving the method for computing bridge element weights within the existing Bridge Health Index (BHI) formulation documented in the Manual for Bridge Evaluation (MBE).

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Shang Zhang Riza Yosia Sunindijo Jinpeng Wang Zhenwen Su Yongjian Ke Xiaoping Liu http://yetl.yabesh.ir/yetl1/handle/yetl/4309916 2026-02-16T21:54:53Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Causation of Design Error in the Construction Industry: A Multistakeholder Perspective Shang Zhang; Riza Yosia Sunindijo; Jinpeng Wang; Zhenwen Su; Yongjian Ke; Xiaoping Liu A seemingly minor design error can have significant repercussions in a construction project, leading to serious safety and quality consequences, cost overrun, and delays. This error can have a lasting impact, potentially affecting usability and safety during the operational stage of the completed facility. Despite these consequences, there is limited research on which stakeholders contribute more significantly to design errors. Furthermore, there is a disconnection in understanding among stakeholders about the causes of design errors. To address the knowledge gap, this research aimed to identify the critical causes of design errors from a multistakeholder perspective. Empirical survey data were collected from 243 design professionals (e.g., architects, structural designers, and water supply and drainage designers) across various stakeholders (e.g., clients, design companies, and construction companies) in the Chinese construction industry. Descriptive and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses reveal that contrary to common understanding, clients and geological surveying companies are the major stakeholders responsible for design errors in construction projects. The major factors leading to design errors are design input information error, unreasonable intervention on design, noncompliance with standard requirements, and error in site geological survey document. In contrast, concurrent design and construction requirements and poor working conditions are the least influential factors. Design professionals, regardless of their stakeholder groups, shared similar views on the causes of design errors. This research is among the first to uncover the causes of design errors on construction projects from a multistakeholder perspective. The findings offer valuable insights for stakeholders to improve design quality in the Chinese construction industry and other countries with similar environments. The research findings have significant practical implications for various stakeholders to more effectively reduce design errors in construction projects. By identifying the critical factors leading to design errors from a multistakeholder perspective, this research provides a strong empirical foundation for developing novel evidence-based design quality management strategies to prevent the chronic problem of design errors in the construction industry. The results highlight that in addition to ensuring the capability of design development company and designers, design quality is heavily dependent on the accuracy of design input information provided by the clients, and compliance with standard requirements and high-quality site geological survey documents provided by geological surveying companies. Adequate time is needed in the preliminary design phase to thoroughly review the input information provided by clients and geological surveying companies. In addition, clients should avoid excessive interference in the design process and should instead empower the designers to determine design details or design solutions because these are helpful to reduce design changes and avoid potential design quality problems. Finally, stakeholders should also pay special attention to changes to design-related laws and regulations and standards and codes because these are major factors causing design error in the construction industry.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z