INDUSTRIAL CONNECTED VEHICLE, AN OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE RISKS IN FACTORIES

Factories of a certain size are full of industrial vehicles that perform different tasks. The characteristics of these vehicles with articulated arms and great power make them probable generators of accidents. These vehicles perform demanding actions in which the driver must pay the utmost attention not to run over a pedestrian or damage an adjacent structure. This need for attention can lead to driver burnout, stress, and even physical injury. This article presents a study carried out on 9 companies in different productive sectors in which the type of industrial vehicles used in them, the type of task they carry out and the risks derived from their use have been analyzed. To reduce this type of risk, it is proposed to use an IoT system under the connected vehicle paradigm, to alert drivers and pedestrians. The system should be configurable and integrated with other devices such as cameras or traffic lights. To complement the study, a minimum implementation of the system on a SCB computer has been evaluated to demonstrate that its implementation can be done at a very low cost. Key Words: industrial vehicle, connected vehicle, IoT, driving assistance, risk reduction

Kaplan’s Lesion of the Little Finger Treated with Open Reduction by a Volar Approach: A Case Report

Kaplan’s lesions are defined as open wounds with the metacarpal head exposed in the palms, accompanied by complex dorsal dislocation of the metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ). Kaplan’s lesions are clinically rare because the volar side of the MCPJ is anatomically supported and reinforced by a stronger adjacent structure. Moreover, lesions in the little finger are very rarely reported because most Kaplan’s lesions occur in the index finger. The reduction of lesions and restoration of joint stability is difficult when Kaplan’s lesions occur. Various methods have been currently introduced in the treatment of Kaplan’s lesions; however, no standardized treatment has been established because of the rarity of this disease. This paper reports a case of Kaplan’s lesion of the left little finger without fracture after a fall; the case was successfully treated with open reduction using a volar approach.

Numerical Simulation of Mechanical Properties of Series System with Bearing and Pier Under Lateral Load

The local series system with typical common plate rubber support/pier in highway reinforced concrete girder bridge is the object of the current research. The finite element numerical simulation method is used to study sensitive parameters – the mechanical properties of the series system under the horizontal load. The simulated results show that the interface bonding strength between the bearing and adjacent structure is reduced; the equivalent shear deformation and the horizontal force of bearing under horizontal load change insignificantly with the increase of horizontal displacement. However, the total shear deformation and equivalent shear deformation increase with the increase of the axial compression ratio. In addition, the top horizontal force and displacement of the pier significantly decrease with reduction of the connection strength at both ends of the bearing. Therefore, adjusting the axial compression ratio of the pier and interfacial connection mode can obviously affect the mechanical properties of the support and adjacent structure, even the failure mode of the local structure. This approach can help estimate the mechanical properties of the existing bridge and determine the reasonable maintenance plan.

ADVANCED STAGE OF FACIAL BASAL CELL CARCINOMA

An eighty years old man presented with a slowly progressing, ulcerative mass near the left eye diagnosed as the advanced stage of facial basal cell carcinoma (rodent ulcer) which has involved his left eye and orbit, left nostril and left cheek area. According to the patient, it was a very slow growing tumor and has reached this stage over a span of more than ten years. He has been advised removal of his left eye and adjacent structure along with plastic reconstruction of the damaged half of the nose and face. It will be important to excise the tumor along with healthy margins to prevent recurrences. Take home message is that basal cell carcinoma should be excised early to prevent damage to the eye and nearby structures.

Effect of Sheet Pile Driving on Geotechnical Behavior of Adjacent Building in Sand: Numerical Study

Construction vibration such as sheet pile driving can produce earthborn vibrations which may be leads to problems for the supporting soils and adjacent structures. Vibrations create the stress waves traveling outward from the source through the soil and cause structural damage due to dynamic vibration induced settlement. The main aim of the present research is to study the vibration effect through sheet pile driving technique on the surrounding soil and adjacent structure. A series of plain strain finite element analysis using Plaxis 8.2 dynamic module is run to simulate the installation technique of a sheet pile unit using driving technique (hammer type). The effect of construction stages with different embedded sheet pile depth, sand relative density, and foundation distance from the driving source is also studied. The influence of hammer driving amplitude on the foundation response and excess pore water pressure are presented. The results showed that the increase of both embedment sheet pile depth and hammer efficiency can significantly produce higher excess pore water pressure and foundation settlement. The increase of sand density can also has a great effect in increasing the foundation damage of adjacent structure compared with low sand relative density. The building damage can significantly take place when the driving is closed to foundation.

Study on the Effect of Impact Load Generated From Pile Driving on Adjacent Berthing Structure

The extension of ports and offshore structures has increased due to feasible marine transportation with more cargoes pouring into the ports across the world. In many ports, there is limited availability of favourable conditions to berth and lack of space for an extension. This leads to the construction of new berthing structures at very close vicinity to existing structures which are aged but significant. One prime concern in such berths is the vibration that will be transmitted to the existing old structure during the construction of the new one. Therefore there is a requirement to keep vibration effects under control to ensure that existing structures remain serviceable. One of the scenarios that determine the intensity of vibration that will be transmitted to soil and adjacent structure is the impact load applied on the pile. In the paper, the study is chosen at a specific port which needs reconstruction and extension due to the change in nature of the cargo to be handled and its requirements and also due to deterioration of aged berthing structure. Therefore, this study aims to find out the effect of impact load that is applied on pile casing during the pile driving process, so that the adjacent structure and machinery can be kept serviceable. The structure, soil medium and pile driving process are modelled in PLAXIS 3D. A damping ratio of 5 percent is assumed for both structure and soil throughout the modelling. A parametric study is done by varying the load on the pile casing while pile driving. The study gives the response of the structure to dynamic loading and influence of load on peak particle velocity during pile driving that gives economical piling and also ensures the safety of the adjacent berthing structure.

Impact Response of Base Isolated Building with Adjacent Structures

The seismic behavior of multi-storied building supported on Friction pendulum system (FPS) during impact with adjacent structure is examined. One lateral degree of freedom is considered at each floor, base mass and slider. Adjacent structure (i.e. retaining walls or entry bridges) is modeled as an impact element in form of spring and dashpot. The impact response of FPS bearing is studied under 60 records consisting of service level, design basis and maximum credible earthquakes. Newmark’s step by step iteration method is used to solve the differential equations of motion for the isolated system. The impact response of isolated building is studied under the variation of important system parameters such as size of gap and stiffness of impact element. To reduce the influence of impact a viscous damper is employed between the isolated building and adjacent structure. It is concluded that during impact with adjacent structure the superstructure acceleration and base shear increases while bearing displacement decreases. The employment of viscous damper shows considerable reduction in bearing displacements, base shear and impact force during DBE and MCE events. Further, the effects of impact are found critical if the superstructure is flexible and greater stiffness of impact element. The top floor acceleration increases with the isolation gap up to certain limit and again reduces with the increase in isolation gap.Keywords - Adjacent Structure; isolation; Sliding bearing; Viscous Damper; Gap effect; Floor acceleration; Impact