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A three-dimensional pile–soil model was created by finite element analysis to study the horizontal bearing capacity of a new high-rise foundation coupling beam pile structure with high stability. Horizontal loads, combined vertical–horizontal loads and seismic waves are applied to them, and the horizontal displacements, pile bending moments, coupling beam axial forces and dynamic responses are analyzed in comparison with the pile group. According to the findings, the horizontal bearing capacity of the coupling beam pile structure is 40% greater than that of the pile group. Additionally, the coupling beam is capable of effectively distributing the horizontal load and balancing the pile bending moment at various locations. Under the combined load, the coupling beam pile structure’s horizontal displacement is reduced by 51.3% in comparison with that of the pile group, and the coupling beam’s bending moment and axial force are increased. The coupling beam pile structure’s peak acceleration is 32.92% lower than the peak acceleration of the pile group subjected to seismic action, the pile bending moment is greater, the beam can withstand greater forces, and the coupling beam pile structure can produce seismic isolation.

Prestressed concrete pipe pile with high bearing capacity, the advantages of convenient construction, low cost and widely used in practical engineering, because of the prestressed high strength concrete in use process is in complex stress state, both are under a lot of vertical load, and horizontal seismic action needs to be considered at the same time, it is necessary under the condition of considering the vertical load bearing capacity of prestressed high strength concrete level and considering the loading level, the horizontal bearing capacity. Scholars at home and abroad based on the simple hypothesis, puts forward the calculation method of a lot of interaction with soil, in the future will be adopted in calculation, using ABAQUS finite element analysis, this paper established the three-dimensional finite element model of prestressed concrete pipe pile, respectively under different vertical pressure (P = 4000 kn, P = 4800 kn, P = 6000 kn) one-way load and calculated the horizontal bearing capacity, and under repeated load, respectively to study the size of the different vertical pressure and different reinforcement stirrup ratio on its bearing capacity and seismic performance. The results show that the stiffness of pipe pile decreases significantly with the increase of vertical pressure under different vertical loads. With the increase of vertical load, the ductility and energy dissipation capacity of the components decrease gradually. The horizontal bearing capacity of prestressed high strength concrete pipe decreases with the increase of vertical pressure. However, its amplitude decreases with the increase of vertical pressure value.

Low-back pain is the number one cause of disability in the world, with mechanical loading as one of the major risk factors. Exoskeletons have been introduced in the workplace to reduce low back loading. During static forward bending, exoskeletons have been shown to reduce back muscle activity by 10% to 40%. However, effects during dynamic lifting are not well documented. Relative support of the exoskeleton might be smaller in lifting compared to static bending due to higher peak loads. In addition, exoskeletons might also result in changes in lifting behavior, which in turn could affect low back loading. The present study investigated the effect of a passive exoskeleton on peak compression forces, moments, muscle activity and kinematics during symmetric lifting. Two types (LOW and HIGH) of the device, which generate peak support moments at large and moderate flexion angles, respectively, were tested during lifts from knee and ankle height from a near and far horizontal position, with a load of 10 kg. Both types of the trunk exoskeleton tested here reduced the peak L5S1 compression force by around 5–10% for lifts from the FAR position from both KNEE and ANKLE height. Subjects did adjust their lifting style when wearing the device with a 17% reduced peak trunk angular velocity and 5 degrees increased lumbar flexion, especially during ANKLE height lifts. In conclusion, the exoskeleton had a minor and varying effect on the peak L5S1 compression force with only significant differences in the FAR lifts.

Steel moment frames are designed to ensure sufficient energy absorption capacity by achieving an entire beam-hinging collapse mechanism against severe earthquakes. Therefore, the column overdesign factor is stipulated in seismic design codes in some countries. For example in Japanese seismic design code, the specified column overdesign factor is 1.5 or more for steel moment frames with square tube columns. And this paper describes seismic response by 3D analysis of steel moment frames, and presents seismic demand for the column overdesign factor to keep the damage of square tube columns below the specified limit of plastic deformation. The major parameters are column overdesign factor, horizontal load bearing capacity, shape of frames and input direction of ground motion. In order to investigate 3D behavior of frames and correlation between plastic deformation of columns and column over design factor, apparent column overdesign factor, which is defined as the ratio of full plastic moment of the column (s) to the full plastic moment of the beam (s) projected in the input direction of the ground motion, is introduced. From the earthquake response analysis, it is clarified that the profile of maximum value of cumulative plastic deformation of columns to apparent column overdesign factor, with the similar horizontal load bearing capacity, are nearly identical regardless of number of stories, floor plan, and input direction of ground motion. As a result, the required column overdesign factor to keep the damage of columns below the limit of plastic deformation is proposed under the reliability index of 2.

An accurate quantification of the frictional behaviour of joints under cyclic normal load conditions during the cyclic shear process is important to characterize the joint and fault interactions during earthquakes and rock bursts. We conducted experimental studies and numerical simulations to investigate the cyclic frictional responses of planar joints subjected to cyclic changes of normal loads. Experiments were conducted on artificial rock-like planar joints using a large shear box device (GS-1000), with different vertical and horizontal impact frequencies, vertical impact load amplitudes, horizontal shear displacement amplitudes, and normal load levels. The average normal displacement of the upper block increased with decreasing normal load and decreased with increasing normal load during each cycle. The normal displacement decreased gradually with increasing number of shear cycles due to damage to the micro-asperities at the contact surface. Shear force and the apparent coefficient of friction (k = FShear/FNormal) changed cyclically with a change in shear direction, where k followed a square wave curve with the same peak value at the stable shear stage. The cyclic normal load amplitudes, horizontal shear displacement amplitudes, cyclic normal load frequencies, cyclic horizontal shear frequencies, and static normal force levels had little influence on the peak values of k. Numerical simulations proved that the spatial movement pattern of the loading plate and upper block of the specimen rotated clockwise or anti-clockwise at different shear displacements. Due to the rotation of the upper block, shear and normal stresses distributed at the contact surface were inhomogeneous, which generated a stress gradient along the interface. Consequently, the samples were damaged at the two edges due to the high local stresses. Finally, a mathematical equation is proposed, which can be used for predicting the shear strength of planar joints under cyclic changes of shear velocity and normal load.

The effect of air viscosity on the flow around an insect wing increases as insect size decreases. For the smallest insects (wing length $R$ below 1 mm), the viscous effect is so large that lift-generation mechanisms used by their larger counterparts become ineffective. How the weight-supporting vertical force is generated is unknown. To elucidate the aerodynamic mechanisms responsible, we measure the wing kinematics of the tiny wasp Encarsia formosa (0.6 mm  $R$ ) in hovering or very slow ascending flight and compute and analyse the aerodynamic forces. We find that the insects perform two unusual wing motions. One is ‘rowing’: the wings move fast downward and backward, like stroking oars. The other is the previously discovered Weis-Fogh ‘fling’. The rowing produces 70 % of the required vertical force and the Weis-Fogh ‘fling’ the other 30 %. The oaring wing mainly produces an approximately up-pointing drag, resulting in the vertical force. Because each oaring produces a starting flow, the drag is unsteady in nature and much greater than that in steady motion at the same velocities and angles of attack. Furthermore, our computation shows that if the tiny wasps employed the usual wing kinematics of the larger insects (flapping back and forth in a horizontal plane), the vertical force produced would be only $1/3$ of that by the real wing kinematics; i.e. they must use the special wing movements to overcome the problem of large viscous effects encountered by the commonly used flapping kinematics. We have observed for the first time very small insects using drag to support their weight and we explain how a net vertical force is generated when the drag principle is applied.

In the current study we investigated the effects of resisted sprint training on sprinting performance and underlying mechanical parameters (force-velocity-power profile) based on two different training protocols: (i) loads that represented maximum power output (Lopt) and a 50% decrease in maximum unresisted sprinting velocity and (ii) lighter loads that represented a 10% decrease in maximum unresisted sprinting velocity, as drawn from previous research (L10). Soccer [n = 15 male] and rugby [n = 21; 9 male and 12 female] club-level athletes were individually assessed for horizontal force-velocity and load-velocity profiles using a battery of resisted sprints, sled or robotic resistance respectively. Athletes then performed a 12-session resisted (10 × 20-m; and pre- post-profiling) sprint training intervention following the L10 or Lopt protocol. Both L10 and Lopt training protocols had minor effects on sprinting performance (average of -1.4 to -2.3% split-times respectively), and provided trivial, small and unclear changes in mechanical sprinting parameters. Unexpectedly, Lopt impacted velocity dominant variables to a greater degree than L10 (trivial benefit in maximum velocity; small increase in slope of the force-velocity relationship), while L10 improved force and power dominant metrics (trivial benefit in maximal power; small benefit in maximal effectiveness of ground force orientation). Both resisted-sprint training protocols were likely to improve performance after a short training intervention in already sprint trained athletes. However, widely varied individualised results indicated that adaptations may be dependent on pre-training force-velocity characteristics.

The main aim of this investigation was to quantify differences in sprint mechanical variables across sports and within each sport. Secondary aims were to quantify sex differences and relationships among the variables. In this cross-sectional study of elite athletes, 235 women (23 ± 5 y and 65 ± 7 kg) and 431 men (23 ± 4 y and 80 ± 12 kg) from 23 different sports (including 128 medalists from World Championships and/or Olympic Games) were tested in a 40-m sprint at the Norwegian Olympic Training Center between 1995 and 2018. These were pre-existing data from quarterly or semi-annual testing that the athletes performed for training purposes. Anthropometric and speed-time sprint data were used to calculate the theoretical maximal velocity, horizontal force, horizontal power, slope of the force-velocity relationship, maximal ratio of force, and index of force application technique. Substantial differences in mechanical profiles were observed across sports. Athletes in sports in which sprinting ability is an important predictor of success (e.g., athletics sprinting, jumping and bobsleigh) produced the highest values for most variables, whereas athletes in sports in which sprinting ability is not as important tended to produce substantially lower values. The sex differences ranged from small to large, depending on variable of interest. Although most of the variables were strongly associated with 10- and 40-m sprint time, considerable individual differences in sprint mechanical variables were observed among equally performing athletes. Our data from a large sample of elite athletes tested under identical conditions provides a holistic picture of the force-velocity-power profile continuum in athletes. The data indicate that sprint mechanical variables are more individual than sport specific. The values presented in this study could be used by coaches to develop interventions that optimize the training stimulus to the individual athlete.

The lift that animal wings generate to fly is typically considered a vertical force that supports weight, while drag is considered a horizontal force that opposes thrust. To determine how birds use lift and drag, here we report aerodynamic forces and kinematics of Pacific parrotlets ( Forpus coelestis ) during short, foraging flights. At takeoff they incline their wing stroke plane, which orients lift forward to accelerate and drag upward to support nearly half of their bodyweight. Upon landing, lift is oriented backward to contribute a quarter of the braking force, which reduces the aerodynamic power required to land. Wingbeat power requirements are dominated by downstrokes, while relatively inactive upstrokes cost almost no aerodynamic power. The parrotlets repurpose lift and drag during these flights with lift-to-drag ratios below two. Such low ratios are within range of proto-wings, showing how avian precursors may have relied on drag to take off with flapping wings. Recent work has suggested that lift and drag may be employed differently in slow, flapping flight compared to classic flight aerodynamics. Here the authors develop a method to measure vertical and horizontal aerodynamic forces simultaneously and use it to quantify lift and drag during slow flight.

This study is aimed to evaluate whether lintel has structural effect because it has not been categorized as a structural member. This study experimentally evaluated the horizontal load-carrying capacity of post-beam timber frame structures with bi-linear model and energy dissipation mechanism. To evaluate the effect on horizontal performance of lintel which has been widely used as wall frame in Korean traditional post-beam structure, two frames were tested in different types. One had no lintel and the other one had lintel at the height of 800 mm, respectively. Cyclic loading tests were conducted for each frame according to the standard loading protocol. Frame which had lintel showed slightly higher stiffness. And it showed noticeably significant energy dissipation performance after yield point of the joint. And that leads to the conclusion that lintel has structural effect and it should be considered as an important factor when evaluating horizontal performance of the structure after yield point of the joint.