OMT and UML

Flexural retrofitting of reinforced concrete (RC) beams using fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) plate is a common way to increase the flexural capacity. There is a lack of rational design method to determine where the strengthening plate can safely be curtailed. As a result, retrofitted beams commonly fail by debonding of the FRP plate, which occurs well before the target flexural capacity. Debonding is brittle failure; thus, ductility of the retrofitted beam needs to be ensured by debonding prevention. With sufficient ductility the ultimate strength can continuously increase beyond steel yields with the elastic behavior of the FRP strengthening plate. Debonding prevention has been accounted for empirically in most design approaches so far. The global energy balance approach (GEBA) using fracture mechanics has been proposed to determine the debonding load of an FRP-RC beam that is affected by the plate curtailment location. The GEBA results for various FRP-RC beams can be summarized using debonding contours on plots of moment capacity against the safe plate curtailment locations. The debonding contours constructed in this way for the beams with the same ratio of depth to fracture energy are virtually the same. This paper shows how GEBA can be incorporated into the design process to prevent premature debonding of the FRP plate. The method makes use of the debonding contours and derives from these simplified design charts that could be made available to designers. The retrofitting design consideration and the theoretical background of this unified design method are first explained, followed by the derivation of the conceptual design charts. Numerically correct design charts are then constructed for a wide range of design cases. Finally, a worked example is used to explain the way to apply the unified design method using design charts.

A unified optimization design method for multi-stage non-circular gear transmission based on periodic B-spline interpolation

Secure software practices is increasingly gaining much importance among software practitioners and researchers due to the rise of computer crimes in the software industry. It has become as one of the determinant factors for producing high quality software. Even though its importance has been revealed, its current practice in the software industry is still scarce, particularly in Malaysia. Thus, an exploratory study is conducted among software practitioners in Malaysia to study their experiences and practices in the real-world projects. This paper discusses the findings from the study, which involved 93 software practitioners. Structured questionnaire is utilized for data collection purpose whilst statistical methods such as frequency, mean, and cross tabulation are used for data analysis. Outcomes from this study reveal that software practitioners are becoming increasingly aware on the importance of secure software practices, however, they lack of appropriate implementation, which could affect the quality of produced software.

Significant progress has been made in recent years in the development of tensile and compressive strain capacity models. These models, along with various methods of strain demand determination, form the basic building blocks for the strain-based design and assessment (SBDA) of pipelines. At the same time, gaps exist between the current industry practice and the data needed for the proper application of those models. Furthermore the current practice of independently determining the tensile strain capacity, compressive strain capacity, and strain demand may not accurately represent field conditions as these elements interact and influence each other as opposed to act independently. Key elements related to SBDA are provided for the planning and execution of life-time integrity management of pipelines subjected to high longitudinal strains. The paper places emphasis on two aspects of SBDA: (1) overall framework and (2) considerations that are not adequately covered in the current general industry practices. The entire processes of SBDA, including but not limited to design, material specifications, construction, post-construction field monitoring, and mitigation are covered at high-levels to assist decision-making in practical projects. Detailed methodologies for executing components of SBDA are not covered in this paper, but can be found in the cited references.

Various process models have been proposed for system development, which represent all stages from requirements analysis to implementations and tests. However, these process models focus not on improvement of the model of the system itself but on the development of processes to adapt to the properties of the requirements in system development. First, we arranged the features of system development. Then, we modeled the requirements and a system, and propose here a design method by which the customer and designer can always check requirements by introducing not plural design methods using various conventional design model figures but a unified multiphase design method, even if the designer does not implement the system. The customer and designer can check the requirements using the animations of the scenarios described as requirements. Finally, we present an example of execution, which designs a system using the proposed model, and describe avenues for future work.

Category of paper Research paper combined with a case study Purpose To demonstrate that lean management could be successfully applied in an enterprise from an Eastern European country like Romania. To propose solutions in order to improve the current management practices in the Romanian industry and to increase productivity in order to deal with global competition. To implement the customer-supplier logic within a Romanian manufacturing enterprise. Design/methodology/approach The main objectives of the paper were achieved by using quantitative and qualitative research methods. A survey, based on a questionnaire applied to the firm’s employees, was conducted and the work processes during a product cycle were observed by the two authors. Focus-groups were also organized within the Romanian enterprise. Findings Findings are related to the business environment and economical changes in Romania. Due to the implementation of lean management in the Romanian enterprise, waste decreased in a significant manner, work productivity increased and work area decreased. Also, by using lean production and management, emphasis is put on inter-functional effectiveness, process efficiency and system flexibility. Training (for instance “5S” training) and team work play a key role in implementing a customer-supplier logic (or internal client or customer-in) within the Romanian enterprise. Research limitations There are little statistical methods applied in the Romanian industry. That is why future research should focus on the performance measurement and the indicators used in the management of the processes in a manufacturing enterprise. Practical implications Romanian government, private and public enterprises could use the findings in order to rethink some of theirs management strategies and practices. Changes should be made within manufacturing enterprises in order to gain a flexible and organizational structure. Originality/value The paper shows that the lean paradigm leads to a management-byprocess organization. On the other hand, the paper demonstrates that lean management could be successfully applied in a Romanian manufacturing enterprise. Suggestions are made Marinescu, P. and Toma, S.G., 2008, in IFIP International Federation for Information Processing, Please use the following format when citing this chapter: Volume 257, Lean Business Systems and Beyond, Tomasz Koch, ed.; (Boston: Springer), pp. 269–276. 270 Paul Marinescu, Sorin George Toma regarding the solutions needed for improving the current managerial practices in the Romanian industry.

Strain limits vs. reinforcement ratio limits – A collection of new and old formulas for the design of reinforced concrete sections

This paper describes how the Unified Design method, originally conceived as a means for developing universally accessible user interfaces, can be adapted and applied to the development of universally accessible games. The basic steps for applying the method are presented and explained through illustrative examples. Furthermore, the key differentiations between designing turn-based strategy games and action games are highlighted and the related impact to the application of the design method is explained.

A group theoretic approach to the global bifurcation analysis of an axially compressed cylindrical shell

The paper focuses on enhancing the current or modern software development practices in Information Technology (IT) organizations. The research paper aims to address the gap between various hybrid software development approaches and existing practices that contribute to software development practices. The methodology adopted here is to obtain data from software professionals and understand how the current practices in the software development industry have contributed to the productivity of the employees and the IT organization, which has been done with the help of a survey questionnaire and by analyzing existing research articles and papers on the software development practices. This research is a conceptual model focused on a modern hybrid approach for software development, rather than focusing on a single software development approach, which can help IT organization increase productivity and deliver business value beyond customer expectations. The cost to build and time to market a software product or a software service can reduce by integrating the required software development practices. Today, staying relevant in the competitive market can be made easier by choosing the best available software development practices, frameworks, and models to fit an organization’s value and knowledge system. The conceptual model aims to reduce the gap between various hybrid software development approaches and existing practices contributing to software development. The paper concludes by discussing the benefits of the hybrid software development approach and urge IT organizations to adopt it as per their software development requirements and customer requirements.

There is a long-standing challenge to narrow the gap between software engineering research and industry practice, to align their interests and realize true synergies between the two communities. Some difficulties to this challenge include mismatched agendas, priorities and expectations from the research collaboration on both sides. To overcome these difficulties, an initial step is to gain a clearer understanding of collaboration challenges from both perspectives. With this goal in mind, we organized the 5th International Workshop on Software Engineering Research and Industrial Practice, collocated with the International Conference on Software Engineering 2018. The workshop featured two keynote talks, one from industry and one from academia, followed by paper presentations and a round-table discussion session. Here we summarize experiences shared by the keynotes from industry and academia, along with findings from paper presentations and overall discussions by workshop participants on the ways of aligning software engineering research and industry practice.

Propeller design diagrams, like Bp-δ diagram, are widely applied in ship propeller design. However, different propeller series use various selection approaches, so comparisons between designs are only possible after individual candidates are chosen.This paper proposes a unified approach based on machine learning to allow efficient comparison and facilitate the selection of the optimal propeller amongst the available propeller series. The process starts by compiling propeller series data to generate a comprehensive dataset on propeller performance. This dataset is then used to train an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model, which accurately predicts open-water propeller performance. Optimization techniques are applied to maximize propeller efficiency based on the specific needs of the vessel, while ensuring compliance with cavitation and noise constraints for safety. The model's accuracy is validated using data from the KRISO Container Ship (KCS), demonstrating the prediction's reliability. The method is then applied to select both open and ducted propellers for a variety of ship types to meet specific operational requirements. Ultimately, the optimized results are ranked by efficiency, offering an organized set of options for selecting the most suitable propeller. This approach eliminates the need for manual dataset correlation, significantly improving the efficacy of generating an outperforming initial design.

Stability property is the key index for converter control. A practical stable control scheme is proposed for DC power supply converters. Firstly, the converter system is described as a linear model with two constraints, one is that the input is discontinuous and it is a Finite Control Set (FCS), the other is that the switching frequency is limited. Secondly, a unified control design method satisfied the constraints to guarantee the practical stability and convergence called sampling point equivalence scheme is introduced, which is illustrated as the duty cycle feedback control in form. Then the relationship between the convergent zone and the sampling time is analyzed, which is also the character of practical stability. The DC-DC buck converter is chosen as the plant to show the proposed methods, which are finally validated by both simulation and experiments.

Sandy soils may undergo compression during liquefaction. A review of published design manuals, including the 2004 AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, indicates that some recommendations for pile design may not represent the pile response in a manner consistent with the actual axial response of the pile during liquefaction. The actual response is discussed in light of the unified pile design method and separated between liquefaction occurring above and below the static nonliquefied neutral plane location before the liquefaction event. In the former case, the effect on the pile is minor regardless of the magnitude of liquefaction-induced settlement of the surrounding soil. In the latter case, the axial compressive load in the pile increases and additional pile settlement (downdrag) will occur when the force equilibrium is reestablished through the necessary mobilization of additional toe resistance. This means that the magnitude of the downdrag is governed by the pile toe load-movement response to the downward shift of the neutral plane. While there is a reduction in shaft resistance due to the reduction in strength within the liquefied layers, this reduction will only influence the pile design length where the liquefying layer is very thick.

Code-based design of piles with negative skin friction (NSF) considers the NSF force (the drag force) as a load to be imposed on the pile as an unfavourable design action. These codes – for example Singapore Code of Practice CP4, UK Standard BS EN 8004:1986 and the recent Eurocode 7 (EC7) (BS EN 1997-1:2004) – would indirectly factor up the value of the drag force while at the same time disregard the shaft resistance above the neutral plane and factor down the positive shaft resistance below the neutral plane. Thus, the pile design in very deep soft clays typical of Singapore and Asian coastal plains will lead to very conservative pile lengths to meet the code requirements. The Fellenius unified pile design method recognised this deficiency, and it allows for better pile design with NSF taking into account the need for both force and settlement equilibrium between the pile and the soil. Fortunately, EC7 also allows for interactive pile–soil analysis using modern finite-element method tools that can optimise pile design for NSF, in particular when the remaining consolidation settlements around the piles are relatively small. This paper will compare these methods, provide insights into the proper understanding of NSF effects on pile behaviour and recommend the way forward for rational and economical pile design in settling soils.