Blow-up in jointed concrete pavements refers to a type of distress caused by the excessive accumulation of compressive stress within concrete slabs, primarily resulting from internal expansion and elevated environmental temperatures. This phenomenon frequently leads to slab buckling and is challenging to predict in terms of both timing and location, thereby significantly threatening the long-term structural stability of the pavement. In the present study, the pavement growth and blow-up analysis (PGBA) model was employed to quantitatively predict the timing of blow-up events in jointed concrete pavements. The model estimates the maximum compressive stress within the slab throughout the pavement’s service life using input parameters such as reliability, climatic conditions, pavement structure, material properties, and expansion joint configurations. Subsequently, the model compares the estimated stress to the threshold stress associated with blow-up to determine the likely time of occurrence. A sensitivity analysis was performed on a range of design and environmental factors, including annual maximum temperature, annual maximum precipitation, coefficient of thermal expansion, ASR, pavement thickness, geometric imperfection, and expansion joint spacing and width. The influence of each factor on the predicted blow-up occurrence time was quantitatively evaluated. The analysis demonstrated that climatic conditions, pavement structure, material properties, and expansion joint characteristics, as considered in the PGBA model, collectively govern the timing of blow-up events. These findings offer critical insights for informing the design and maintenance strategies of jointed concrete pavements.

기후변화로 인해 전 세계적으로 수온이 상승하는 추세이며, 그에 따른 수계 내 유기물의 농도 증가에 따라 정수 처리 과정에서의 소독부산물 생성량 역시 상승하고 있다. 이 중 총트리할로메탄(Trihalomethanes, THMs)은 발암물질로 분류되며, 먹는 물 수질 기준이 0.1 mg/L로 설정되어 있다. 소독부산물 생성량 증가와 취수원에서의 수질 문제가 지속적으로 제기됨에 따라 안정적 수돗물 공급을 위한 대책이 필요한 상황에서 본 연구는 여름철 경기도와 경상북도 지역의 수도꼭지에서 THMs 농도를 모니터링 하였다. 또한, 과거 THMs 측정 자료와 더불어 다양한 자료를 비교ㆍ분석하여 THMs 농도 변화의 원인을 파악했다. 그 결과, 조사 지역들의 THMs 생성에는 원수의 종류, 그로 인한 용존유기탄소 (Dissolved organic carbon, DOC), 클로로필-a 인자와 더불어 계절적 요인들 중 기온과 강우량이 종합적으로 기여하는 것으로 나타났다. 특히, 선형 회귀분석을 통해 용존유기탄소와 THMs간의 상관관계가 높으며 수돗물의 용존유기탄소 농도가 2.7 mg/L 이상일 경우 THMs 농도가 법정 먹는 물 수질 기준을 초과할 가능성이 높다는 결과를 도출하였다. 이를 통해 여름철 강우가 집중되는 시기와 갈수기 THMs 관리를 위해 원수의 유기물 농도를 관리하는 노력이 필수적임을 확인하였다. 해당 결과는 정수장에서의 유기물 농도 관리를 통해 THMs 생성을 억제하는 것이 매우 중요함을 시사하며, 앞으로 먹는 물 수질 기준과 정수장 운영 관리에 용존유기탄소 수질 항목을 추가하는 방안의 검토가 필요하다 판단된다.

This study aimed to assess the global and domestic efforts regarding the reduction of environmental-impact-factor emissions in the production and construction processes of concrete pavements. By utilizing internationally commercialized programs, this study sought to calculate the environmental impact factors generated by specific domestic concrete-pavement projects and identify areas for improvement. This study evaluated the global and domestic efforts of environmental impact reduction by focusing on the production and construction of concrete pavements. This study calculated the environmental impact factors for five cases using internationally commercialized software. The analysis revealed that, during the production and construction of concrete pavements, Portland cement production is a dominant cause of global warming, smog, acidification, and non-carcinogenic factors, whereas aggregate production is a dominant cause of ozone depletion, eutrophication, carcinogenicity, respiratory issues, environmental toxicity, and fossil-fuel depletion. This study analyzed the environmental impact factors of material mix and process during concrete pavement production and construction using foreign life-cycle inventory (LCI) databases. The environmental impact of each input material was identified. In the future, if an LCI and life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) database for domestic road pavement materials is established and analyzed based on the conditions presented in this study, it is expected to lay the foundation for the development of environmentally friendly materials.

This study aimed to statistically analyze and understand the factors contributing to road icing accidents on Korean roads, particularly within sections designated as ice-prone. The objective was to assess the adequacy of the existing criteria for designating these sections and to provide insights for improving safety measures on icy roads. Road icing accident data were collected from Korea’s (traffic accident analysis system (TAAS) database, covering incidents from 2018 to 2022 on both expressways and general roads. The data were compiled to create a comprehensive database that incorporated geographic and weather-related factors influencing road icing accidents. Using geographic information systems (GIS), a spatial analysis was performed on the designated ice-prone and non-designated sections. The inverse distance weighting (IDW) method was applied to interpolate the meteorological data, and the temperature lapse rate was used to adjust for altitude-related variations in temperature, providing estimates for conditions such as the average temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation days at each accident location. The analysis revealed that only 2.9% of designated ice-prone sections reported icing-related accidents, whereas 97.6% of icing accidents occurred in non-designated sections. This discrepancy highlights potential gaps in the current criteria for designating ice-prone areas. Additionally, road characteristics such as traffic volume, lane count, speed limit, and curve radius, along with meteorological factors such as humidity, precipitation frequency, and solar radiation exposure, were observed to be significantly correlated with icing accidents. Regions with high relative humidity and low sunlight exposure exhibited a heightened risk of road icing accidents, suggesting the need for these parameters to designate ice-prone sections. This study underscores the need to refine Korea's criteria for designating ice-prone sections by incorporating a wider range of risk factors, including detailed terrain data, shaded areas, and road geometry factors, such as slopes. Integrating these additional elements into the designation process could enhance the precision and effectiveness of preventive measures and ultimately reduce the risk of icing-related accidents in Korea’s road networks. These findings provide a foundation for future policy and management decisions to enhance road safety during the winter.

This study was performed to analyze dietary influences on the regulation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in postmenopausal women using the 2019-2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). A total of 1,724 women were classified into cardiovascular risk groups based on risk factors and differentiated into high LDLC and normal groups according to the target serum LDL-C levels. The risk group distribution was as follows: Very high-risk group (6%), high-risk group (49.4%), moderate-risk group (42.3%), and low-risk group (2.3%). The high LDL-C group demonstrated abdominal obesity and prediabetes, with their carbohydrate energy intake exceeding the Korean dietary guideline recommendations of 65%. Increased fat (OR 2.67, 95% CI; 1.19-6.02) and cholesterol (OR 2.43, 95% CI; 1.02- 5.77) intake correlated with higher LDL-C risk. The high LDL-C group showed elevated saturated fat and reduced polyunsaturated fat consumption (p for trend <0.001). Thus, to regulate the LDL cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women, they maintain an appropriate weight in addition to managing abdominal obesity and continuously monitoring blood sugar levels. Furthermore, it is important to limit the intake of high saturated fat meats and consume sufficient protein from sources such as beans, fish, and eggs, which contain healthy unsaturated fats.

PURPOSES : This study aims to evaluate the vertical displacement caused by differential drying shrinkage in concrete pavements within tunnels under various independent variables using structural analysis. METHODS : The behavior of differential drying shrinkage was assessed based on literature reviews of slab thickness and atmospheric humidity. The equivalent linear temperature difference (ELTD) values were analyzed using regression analysis. A three-dimensional solid element model of a two-lane highway tunnel section with six slabs was created using the ABAQUS finite element program by referring to standard drawings. Dowels and tie bars were placed in accordance with the highway standards of the Korean Highway Corporation. RESULTS : The results of a finite element analysis revealed no significant difference in vertical displacement owing to the type of slab base. However, thicker slabs exhibited a smaller vertical displacement. Additional dowels installed at the shoulder of the driving lane did not significantly inhibit vertical displacement. A narrower joint spacing resulted in a smaller vertical displacement. A comparison with field data from Tunnel A showed that the amount of differential drying shrinkage varied with the relative humidity of the atmosphere during different seasons. CONCLUSIONS : Increasing the slab thickness and reducing the joint spacing can improve driving performance by mitigating differential drying shrinkage during dry winter conditions. Future research will involve the creation of indoor test specimens to further analyze the behavior of differential drying shrinkage under varying conditions of relative humidity, slab base moisture, and wind presence.

2019년 12월, 상주-영천 고속도로 상행선에서 도로 노면 결빙에 의한 연쇄추돌사고로 48명의 사상자가 발생하였다. 이에, 국토교통부 는 2020년 1월 결빙 취약구간 선정기준을 마련하여 결빙 취약구간 403개소를 지정하고, 결빙 취약구간을 대상으로 2022년까지 1,699억 원의 예산을 투입하여 결빙사고 예방사업을 계획하였다(BAI, 2021). 하지만, 결빙 취약구간 선정기준에 대해 적정성 검토가 이루어지 지 않아 그 신뢰성과 실효성이 충분히 검증되지 않았다. 본 연구에서는 국가교통정보센터의 노드·링크(Node·Link) 체계를 기반으로 전국 고속국도 및 일반국도의 특성정보(시설, 선형구조, 기상, 교통 등)를 GIS(Geographic Information System) 데이터로 구축하였다. 최근 5년 결빙사고 발생이력이 있는 도로구간(Link)을 확인하고 Random Forest 알고리즘을 통해 도로 특성정보의 결빙사고에 대한 변수 중요도(Feature Importance)를 분석했다. 이를 통해 결빙사고와 각 인자의 상관성을 파악하여 ‘결빙 취약구간 평가 세부 배점표’의 항목별 배점을 수정, 보완함으로써 평가표의 신뢰성을 제고한다.

지형적인 이질성이 심한 강원도, 경상북도에 집중되고 있는 대형 산불을 관리하기 위해서는 위성 영상을 활용하여 효율적이고 신속한 피해 평가를 통한 의사 결정 과정이 필수적이다. 이에 본 연구는 2022년 3월 5일에 강원도 강릉 및 동해에서 발화하여 3월 8일 19시경 진화된 대형 산불을 대상으로, dNBR을 활용한 산불 심각도 산정과 등급에 영향을 미치는 환경요인을 도출하고자 하였다. 환경요인으로는 식생 또는 연료 유형을 대표하는 정규식생지수, 수종을 구분한 임상도, 수분함양을 나타내는 정규수분지수, 지형과 관련해서는 DEM 등을 수치화한 후 산불 심각도와의 상관 관계를 분석하였다. 산불 심각도는 산불 피해 없음(Unbured)이 52.4%로 가장 넓었고, 심각도 낮음 42.9%, 심각도 보통-낮음 4.3%, 심각도 보통-높음 0.4% 순이었다. 환경요인의 경우 dNDVI, dNDWI와는 음의 상관관계를, 경사도와 는 양의 상관관계를 나타내었다. 식생과 관련해서는 산불 심각도에 영향을 미치는 것으로 분석된 dNDVI, dNDWI, 경사도 모두에서 침엽수, 활엽수, 기타의 집단간 차이가 p-value < 2.2e-16로 유의미한 것으로 분석되었다. 특히, 침엽수 와 활엽수의 차이가 명확하였는데, 강원도 지역에서 우점종인 소나무를 비롯하여 잣나무, 리기다소나무, 곰솔 등의 산불 심각도가 높아 침엽수가 활엽수에 비해 피해를 받는 것이 확인되었다.

국토교통부는 2020년 '결빙 취약구간 평가 세부 배점표’에 따라, 전국의 고속국도와 일반국도를 대상으로 410개 구간의 결빙 취약구 간을 선정하였다. 그러나, 2021년 감사원의 결빙 취약구간 지정 적정성 감사 결과에서 감사원은 현재 지정ㆍ관리 중인 결빙 취약구간 및 결빙 취약구간 평가 세부 배점표의 적정성에 문제를 제기하였다. 이에, 국토교통부는 결빙 취약구간을 재지정하여 발표하였으나 그 에 대한 평가 및 지정 적정성 검증이 아직 이루어지지 않았다. 본 연구에서는 결빙 취약구간과 결빙사고 데이터의 위치정보를 수집하여 GIS(Geographic Information System) 데이터로 구축하고 맵핑(Mapping)하여 결빙 취약구간 내 결빙사고이력을 확인함으로서 결빙 취약구간의 결빙사고 예측성능을 평가하였다. 또한, 각 결빙 사고 발생지점에서 도로시설, 교통, 선형구조, 환경인자 데이터를 수집하여 분석한다. 이를 통해 결빙사고와 각 인자 간의 상관성을 파 악하고, 그 결과에 따라 결빙 취약구간 평가 세부 배점표의 평가항목 및 각 항목별 배점을 수정하고 보완함으로써 결빙 취약구간의 신뢰성을 제고한다.

본 연구는 가선집재시스템에서 벌도목을 견인 시작 지점에서 Yarder까지 안전하게 운반할 수 있는 최대 하중인 가선경로상의 허용반송량을 분석하여, 가선집재 작업에 필요한 의사결정을 지원하기 위한 목적으로 수행되었다. 이를 위해 허용반송량의 변화를 예측하는 모델을 구현하고, 가선집재시스템 구동에 주요 인자인 지형조건, Yader의 높이, 가선의 직경, 벌도목의 견인형태 및 작업방식에 대한 민감도 분석을 수행하였다. 분석결과, 가선 설치계획에 있어 오목한 지형을 선택하는 것이 안전성과 효율성에 중요한 영향을 미치는 것을 확인할 수 있었고 Yarder의 높이나 Wire rope의 직경, 벌도목의 견인형태 및 시스템의 작업방법과 같은 시스템을 구성하는 여러 요인에 의해 작업 생산량이 달라지는 것을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과는 가선의 설치경로에 대한 허용반송량 분석의 필요성과 시스템의 다양한 구동 요인에 대한 평가가 가선집재시스템의 국내 현장 적용 및 보급에 필요함을 보여준다.

PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to statistically analyze the meteorological factors that contribute to the formation of road surface icing based on actual cases of icing accidents and provide directions for improving icing evaluation criteria. METHODS : In this study, we collected cases of domestic road icing accidents by searching news articles with the keyword ‘icing collision accidents’. Subsequently, we determined the latitude, longitude, and altitude of accident locations using satellite map service. We applied the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method and temperature lapse rate to estimate meteorological data at each location. Finally, statistical analysis was conducted for temperature, humidity, and precipitation occurrence using probability density functions. RESULTS : As a result, road icing accident data points with identifiable location coordinates were collected. Among these, temperature, humidity, and precipitation occurrence from Automated Weather Stations (AWS) data were selected for analysis. During the process of correcting meteorological factors using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method, the optimal Weighting Exponent (p) that minimizes the error was determined and applied. The results showed that accidents occurring in the morning indicated the highest accident occurrence rate. The average temperature at the time of the accidents was -1.4°C, with a humidity level of 85.1%. Precipitation was observed at the time of the accident in 19 cases. CONCLUSIONS : Icing on pavement can occur not only under extreme weather conditions but also under typical meteorological conditions. Typically, icing can occur when the relative humidity is above 70%. Accordingly, for future improvements in the evaluation criteria for icing-prone areas by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, it is possible to incorporate the temperature and humidity ranges that generally lead to icing, taking into account climate characteristics.

Approximately 40,000 elevators are installed every year in Korea, and they are used as a convenient means of transportation in daily life. However, the continuous increase in elevators has a social problem of increased safety accidents behind the functional aspect of convenience. There is an emerging need to induce preemptive and active elevator safety management by elevator management entities by strengthening the management of poorly managed elevators. Therefore, this study examines domestic research cases related to the evaluation items of the elevator safety quality rating system conducted in previous studies, and develops a statistical model that can examine the effect of elevator maintenance quality as a result of the safety management of the elevator management entity. We review two types: odds ratio analysis and logistic regression analysis models.

PURPOSES : In this study, we aim to broaden the understanding of the factors influencing the accuracy of WIM systems for overload enforcement. Particularly, we explored the proportions and causes of secondary influencing factors (driving path, vehicle class, and acceleration), which have been relatively less studied and reduced the accuracy of the WIM system. METHODS : Overload enforcement data were recorded by the WIM system, and enforcement officers were gathered. The ratios of each data point, which are the relative errors, are used to estimate the accuracy of the WIM system. These relative errors were classified into four driving-path groups, four vehicle-class groups, and three acceleration groups. The change in the accuracy of the WIM system caused by each influencing factor was analyzed by comparing the difference in the average relative error between the classified groups. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Welch's ANOVA were used to determine significant differences between groups. RESULTS : Vehicles departing from a normal driving path make it difficult for the GVW compensation algorithm of the WIM system to operate properly. For these abnormal paths, the standard deviation of the average GVW relative error was 22%. There was no specific trend in the difference in accuracy by vehicle class. However, we found that the rear axle and retractable axle were the main causes of the reduced GVW accuracy in each vehicle class. The average GVW relative error remained the same regardless of the acceleration, but the average FAW relative error of the accelerated vehicle was approximately 2.5% lower than that of the unaccelerated vehicle. CONCLUSIONS : An abnormal driving path, lifting of a retractable axle, and rapid acceleration (or deceleration) reduce the accuracy of WIM systems. Intelligent transportation systems, such as traffic signals, telematics devices, and applications that induce desirable driving are required for effective overload enforcement. Additionally, it is necessary to smoothen the road pavement to minimize the dynamic effects on the rear axle.

SOCS3, a suppressor of cytokine signaling 3, is known as a negative regulator of various cytokines and a tumor suppressor gene in human tumors. This study aimed to investigate the role of SOCS3 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its impact on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in OSCC cells. Although SOCS3 is recognized as a negative regulator of various cytokines and a tumor suppressor gene in human tumors, its specific effects on OSCC remain poorly understood. For the assessment of SOCS3 expression in OSCC, the UALCAN website and TCGA data were used to evaluate its expression in head and neck cancer. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining was conducted to determine the SOCS3 expression specifically in OSCC. The findings indicated a significant decrease in SOCS3 expression in tumor tissue compared to that in normal tissues. To investigate the enhancement of SOCS3 expression in OSCC cancer cell lines, IL6 treatment was administered to MC3 cells. However, no significant differences were observed in cell viability, wound healing assay, and invasion assay. Conversely, the transfection of SOCS3 siRNA into OSCC cells led to a notable increase in cell viability and statistically significant increases in wound healing and invasion assays. These results suggest that SOCS3 plays a crucial role in cell viability and EMT in OSCC, thereby contributing to oral carcinogenesis. Further research is necessary to elucidate the precise role of SOCS3 in OSCC.

Complaints about foul odors are emerging as an issue, and the number of complaints is steadily increasing every year. Biofiltration is known to remove harmful or odorous substances from the atmosphere by using microorganisms, and full-scale biofilters are being installed and operated in various environmental and industrial facilities. In this study, the current status and actual odor removal efficiency of full-scale biofilters installed in publicly owned treatment facilities such as sewage, manure, and livestock manure treatment plants were investigated. In addition, the effects of design and operating factors on their efficiency were also examined. As a result, it was found that odor prevention facilities with less than 30% odor removal efficiency based on complex odors accounted for 40%-50% of the biofilters investigated. In investigating the appropriate level of operating factors on odor removal efficiency, it was found that compliance with the recommended values p lays a significant role in improving odor removal efficiency. In the canonical correlation analysis for the on-site biofilter operation and design data, residence time and humidity were found to be the most critical factors. The on-site biofilter operation and design data were analyzed through canonical correlation analysis, and the residence time and humidity maintenance were found to be the most important factors in the design and operations of the biofilter. Based on these results, it is necessary to improve the odor removal efficiency of on-site biofilters by reviewing the effectiveness of the operation factors, improving devices, and adjusting operating methods.