Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 103 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 103).

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2000. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 86 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-86).

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 1998. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 127 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-92).

Artifacts are moved to museums after the excavations in order to provide an indoor protection, while the immovable findings remain exposed to environmental conditions and human activity. In order to conserve these architectural remains made of vulnerable material, mosaics and wall paintings in situ, covering structures are designed offering temporary or long-term sheltering, preserving and exhibiting facilities. The aim of the study is to evaluate these protective structures. In this study, national and international approaches in the conservation of archaeological sites are studied in order to form the theoretical framework. Following the theoretical research, problems facing excavation sites, in situ conservation, interventions and the presentation of the archaeological sites are studied. New building in an archaeological site is discussed in architectural and conservation perspectives and evaluation criteria are defined. Selected cases are studied according to their material selection, functional and physical efficiency, compatibility with the remaining and its urban context in terms of the determined principles. The study is concluded with the general remarks for a new protective structure for the preservation and presentation of the architectural remains in an archaeological site.

This research shows that worst-case methane-air detonation loading on coal mine seals could be more severe than the design loads required by federal regulations, and therefore mine seals should be designed with sufficient ductility beyond the elastic regime. For this study, reinforced concrete mine seals were designed according to traditional protective structural design methods to meet the federal regulation requirements, and then the response to worst-case loads was analyzed in a single-degree-ofreedom model. Coal mine seals designed to resist the regulation loads elastically experienced support rotations up to 4.27 deg when analyzed with the worst-case loads. The analysis showed that coal mine seals designed to satisfy the federal regulations can survive worst-case methane-air detonations if they have sufficient ductility, but will undergo permanent, inelastic deformation.

In the U.S., work-related death is an all too familiar occurrence on farms. Tractor overturns continue to be the most frequent cause of these fatalities. Efforts to alter farming’s ranking as one of the most deadly occupations in the country must provide proven strategies for the elimination of these preventable deaths. In the past, efforts to decrease the rate of overturn fatalities and injuries have largely focused onincreasing the proportion of tractors with a rollover protective structure (ROPS). These devices, in combination with seatbelts, are 99% effective in protecting the tractor operator from death or injury. Unfortunately, only 59% of U.S. tractors are currently equipped with ROPS. Due to the relative lack of political willpower to legislate ROPS installation and the less than encouraging response to education and awareness programs to date, it appeared necessary to explore alternative intervention strategies. The over-arching purpose of this thesis project has been to assess the utility of social marketing as a framework for developing effective health and safety interventions in the farm community. However, our specific objectives included; a more thorough understanding of the perceived barriers and motivators that influence farmer’s safety decisions, the design and evaluation of social marketing incentives developed to encourage safe behaviors and the evaluation of a social marketing campaign designed to positively impact farmer’s intentions and readiness to retrofit unsafe tractors. The research was by and large conducted in New York State and supported by grants from the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Previous research conducted in the New York farm community had indicated that small crop and livestock farmers would be an ideal intervention target for a social marketing tractor overturn intervention as their farms accounted for close to 85% of New York farms which lack or have only one ROPS protected tractor. A qualitative assessment of perceived barriers and motivators regarding retrofitting behaviors was performed with representatives of the small crop and livestock community. Grounded theory analysis of these in-depth interviews revealed several key categories which include: 1) risk becomes “normal”, 2) risk becomes part of a “farming identity”, and 3) risk becomes “cost-effective”. This information was used to design potential intervention incentives, such as toll-free assistance finding and purchasing ROPS, financial rebates, and campaign messages designed to address farmer’s stated concerns. Subsequent research included testing and revising messages and evaluating the effect of the different campaign incentives in a prospective quasirandomized controlled trial conducted in different regions of New York and Pennsylvania. The results indicate that social marketing offers a promising framework for the development of injury or fatality prevention programs in farm communities. Farmers in the social marketing region demonstrated the most significant changes in both behavioral intention and readiness to retrofit compared to farmers from other regions. Data also indicated that social norms strongly influence farmer’s decisions to work safely, as demonstrated by the strong correlations between behavioral intention measures and measures of social norms. As well as providing an assessment of the utility of social marketing as an intervention framework, the thesis provides a cogent example of how behavioral theories can be used in the design and evaluation of intervention programs. Both stages of change theory and the theory of planned behavior proved to be valuable for measuring dispositional and behavioral changes and for finetuning future interventions.

The Rollover of heavy vehicles operating in the construction, mining and agricultural sectors is a common occurrence that may result in death or severe injury for the vehicle occupants. Safety frames called ROPS (Rollover Protective Structures) that enclose the vehicle cabin, have been used by heavy vehicle manufacturers to provide protection to vehicle occupants during rollover accidents. The design of a ROPS requires that a dual criteria be fulfilled that ensures that the ROPS has sufficient stiffness to offer protection, whilst possessing an appropriate level of flexibility to absorb some or most of the impact energy during a roll. Over the last four decades significant research has been performed on these types of safety devices which has resulted in the generation of performance standards that may be used to assess the adequacy of a ROPS design for a particular vehicle type. At present these performance standards require that destructive full scale testing methods be used to assess the adequacy of a ROPS. This method of ROPS certification can be extremely expensive given the size and weight of many vehicles that operate in these sectors. The use of analytical methods to assess the performance of a ROPS is currently prohibited by these standards. Reasons for this are attributed to a lack of available fundamental research information on the nonlinear inelastic response of safety frame structures such as this. The main aim of this project was to therefore generate fundamental research information on the nonlinear response behaviour of ROPS subjected to both static and dynamic loading conditions that could be used to contribute towards the development of an efficient analytical design procedure that may lessen the need for destructive full scale testing. In addition to this, the project also aspired to develop methods for promoting increased levels of operator safety during vehicle rollover through enhancing the level of energy absorbed by the ROPS. The methods used to fulfil these aims involved the implementation of an extensive analytical modelling program using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in association with a detailed experimental testing program. From these studies comprehensive research information was developed on both the dynamic impact response and energy absorption capabilities of these types of structures. The established finite element models were then used to extend the investigation further and to carry out parametric studies. Important parameters such as ROPS post stiffness, rollslope inclination and impact duration were identified and their effects quantified. The final stage of the project examined the enhancement of the energy absorption capabilities of a ROPS through the incorporation of a supplementary energy absorbing device within the frame work of the ROPS. The device that was chosen for numerical evaluation was a thin walled tapered tube known as frusta that was designed to crush under a sidewards rollover and hence lessen the energy absorption demand placed upon the ROPS. The inclusion of this device was found to be beneficial in absorbing energy and enhancing the level of safety afforded to the vehicle occupants.

In der heutigen Gesellschaft verzeichnet die Nutzung persönlicher Schutzausrüstung (PSA) als Vorbeugung gegen Übergriffe einen stetig wachsenden Trend. Dieser beschränkt sich nicht mehr nur auf Polizeikräfte, sondern erstreckt sich zunehmend auf weitere Berufsgruppen, einschließlich Feuerwehr- und Rettungsdienstpersonal, Mitarbeiter im öffentlichen Dienst sowie im privaten Sektor. Der Schwerpunkt dieser Forschungsarbeit liegt auf der innovativen Entwicklung additiv gefertigter Stichschutzwesten, basierend auf bioinspirierten und skalierbaren Schutzelementen. Das Ziel ist, einen hohen Schutz gegen Messerstiche gemäß der deutschen VPAM-KDIW 2004 K1 Prüfrichtlinie mit sehr gutem Tragekomfort zu kombinieren. Im Vergleich zu herkömmlichen Westen, die oft große, starre Platten verwenden, kann diese Neuentwicklung die Akzeptanz von Schutzwesten bei Sicherheitskräften und anderen Zielgruppen erhöhen, da sie neben Schutz auch Komfort in verschiedenen Anwendungsszenarien bietet. 3-D-Körperscans dienten als Grundlage für die Erstellung der Schnittmuster der Schutzwesten und die individuelle Anpassung der Schutzstrukturen an die Körperkonturen und -krümmungen. Für die Bestimmung der Körperkrümmung wurde eine neuartige, automatisierte Methode entwickelt, die auch die Analyse und Berechnung von Körperkrümmungen in dynamischen Bewegungsszenarien ermöglicht. Verschiedene bioinspirierte Schutzstrukturen wurden mittels Fused Layer Modeling (FLM) und dem Continuous Filament Fabrication (CFF)-Verfahren gefertigt und in Anlehnung gemäß der deutschen VPAM-KDIW-Richtlinie getestet. Die Forschung konzentriert sich auf die Optimierung der Additive-Manufacturing-Prozessparameter, einschließlich der Materialauswahl, der Schichtanzahl, des Faservolumengehalts und der Faserorientierung. Die finale Materialkombination besteht aus einer Hochleistungspolymermatrix und Endlosfaserverstärkungen. Das Ergebnis ist eine stichhemmende Weste mit einem individuell gefertigten Schutzpaneel für einen Anwender. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass individueller Schutz durch den Einsatz des CFF-Verfahrens realisierbar ist. / In today's society, the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as a prevention against assaults is experiencing a steadily growing trend. This is no longer limited to police forces, but is increasingly extending to other occupational groups, including fire and rescue service personnel, public service employees and the private sector. The focus of this research is on the innovative development of additively manufactured stab-proof vests, based on bio-inspired and scalable protective structures. The aim is to combine a high level of protection according to the German VPAM-KDIW 2004 K1 guideline with very good wearing comfort. Compared to traditional vests, which often use large, rigid panels, this new development can increase the acceptance of protective waistcoats among security forces and other target groups, as it offers not only protection but also comfort in various application scenarios. 3-D body scans served as the basis for creating the pattern for the protective vests and individual adaptation of the protective structures to the body contours and curvatures. A new, automated method was developed for determining body curvature, which also allows for the analysis and calculation of body curvatures in dynamic movement scenarios. Various bio-inspired protective structures have been manufactured using Fused Layer Modeling (FLM) and Continuous Filament Fabrication (CFF) processes and tested according to the German VPAM-KDIW guidelines. The research focuses on optimizing the Additive Manufacturing process parameters, including material selection, number of layers, fiber volume content, and fiber orientation. The final material combination consisted of a high-performance polymer matrix and continuous fibre reinforcements. The result is a stab protection vest with a customised protective panel. The results show that customised protection can be realised using the CFF process.

Um Lebewesen oder Bauwerke vor Impakteinwirkungen zu schützen, können die unterschiedlichsten Herangehensweisen angewandt werden. Es kann beispielsweise Energie durch innere Reibung, plastische Verformung oder Abfederung absorbiert oder umgelenkt werden. Möglichkeiten der Umsetzung sind lose Schüttungen, die beispielsweise im Fall von Steinschlagschutzgalerien eingesetzt werden, oder geschichtete Aufbauten, wie sie zum Beispiel für Personenrüstungen zum Einsatz kommen. Letztere sind sowohl in der Natur als auch in der Technik oft zu finden und dienen als Grundlage für die nachfolgend entworfenen Schutzkonstruktionen, die sich aus mineralisch gebundenen Kompositen zusammensetzen. Sie sollen in der Lage sein, Stahlbetonkonstruktionen vor Impakteinwirkungen zu schützen. Zunächst wurden die Eigenschaften der verwendeten Materialien unter statischen und dynamischen Lasten untersucht. Anschließend wurden mehrlagige Dämpfungsschichtaufbauten auf Stahlbetonbauteile aufgebracht, um das Dämpfungsverhalten in größerem Maßstab in Fallturmversuchen zu charakterisieren.