Engineering fatigue fracture failure is one of the most common phenomena of mechanical and structural failure, statistically representing approximately 50 to 90% of total mechanical damage [1]. Lattice structures have been widely used in crane booms, steel plants, parking garages, offshore platforms and other fields [2] to [4]. In a crane, the lattice boom has better mechanical properties compa...

Many species of birds move their heads forward through a series of successive, fixed positions when walking. This unique 'head-bobbing' behavior stabilizes visual fields during body movement, preventing motion blur of the retinal image [1–3]. Gaze stabilization could be required for successful visual search, particularly for moving objects [4], but the time available for stabilization varies wi...

The behavior of many mechanical systems, such as overhead cranes, can be predicted through intuitive observation of their motion under various forces. Mathematical modeling of an overhead crane shows that it is highly coupled. Nonetheless, it is surprisingly easy for an experienced crane operator to drive payloads to target positions with minimal cable swing. This observation naturally promotes...

This paper describes the development of a minimum flow algorithm to determine the number of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) required at a semi-automated container terminal. At such a terminal the containers are transported by AGVs from the Quay Cranes to the Automated Stacking Cranes and vice versa. A model and a strongly polynomial time algorithm are developed to solve the case in which conta...

The study of habitat selection and diet has a long history in ecology. This is often used to assess the functional roles of wetland in biodiversity conservation. Shifting habitat and diet may be one of the survival strategies during extremely adverse conditions. Therefore, sudden changes in habitat selection may indicate the deterioration of the habitat quality, and management interventions are...

Construction projects often involve the use of mobile crawler cranes to excavate, backfill, dredge or move material and equipment on or near slopes. Crane manufacturers often only provide guidelines for the safe operation of cranes with respect to over tipping. However, the complex interaction of many variables such as the crane, its load, the slope geometry and its geotechnical properties can ...

COVER Young whooping cranes (Grus americana) follow an ultralight aircraft. Each year, endangered whooping cranes are reared in captivity and artifi cially trained by ultralight aircraft on their fi rst lifetime migration from Wisconsin to Florida. Analyses of data from subsequent unaided migration events show that migratory performance improves over many years and that social learning from old...