2019 IRCET
International Research Conference on Engineering and Technology
January 8 to 10, 2019 in Taipei, Taiwan

Keynote Speaker

Topic: How information and communication technology help older adults living in the Internet Era? Perspectives and experiences of the elderly in Taiwan
The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has greatly facilitated people to live and work in the current society. In particular, the elderly has become the fastest growing population using the ICT. The ICT has a variety of functions, such as gather information, social networks and communication interactions. The trend of using the ICT as a conduit for information provision and communication, as well as complemented the growing demand for medical health for the greying population became a global experience. However, to achieve the goal of improving health, preventing or delaying the progression of chronic conditions, it is of great importance to recognize how the use of technology networks can really provide an effective health information acquisition channel for the elderly, and really facilitate the health behavior of the elderly. The spectrum of using the ICT-related products among older adults varies a lot. Whether ICT-related technology improved older adults’ quality of life, how current technology might help for older adults with declining physical and mental functions, and those living with comorbidities, loneliness, and weak economic conditions, are quires to be answered by research. This talk will aggregate results of observational and interventional empirical ICT related research among older Taiwanese to proffer discussions regarding the next frontiers between ICT and the aging society.

Topic: Seismic behavior of structures base-isolated with rocking bearing
Literatures have shown that traditional sliding base-isolated systems may have long-period resonant-like response induced by a ground motion containing strong long-period frequency spectra. In this paper, a new type of isolator called variable-frequency rocking bearing is proposed. The system allows the bearing remains still under a moderate seismic load but start to rock back-and-forth during severe earthquakes. And the vibration is damped throughout each impact of the bearing on foundation surfaces or added frictional hinge damper. Based on the force-displacement relation and analytical damping of the system, seismic response of the structure may be estimated through a modified elastic response spectrum. The objective of the paper is to investigate seismic performance of this base-isolated structure subjected to uni-axial or bi-axial earthquake loads. To validate the proposed idea, a one-story spaced structure with rocking-isolated bearing and frictional hinge damper was constructed and tested by a shaking table. Investigated parameters include an aspect ratio of the bearing, geometry of the rocking toe (line, spherical or higher order curve), stiffness of the restoring spring, with or without frictional hinge damper, and bi-directional earthquake wave forms of ground motion. Based on test results, the effect of investigated parameters on the seismic performance of the rocking structure is evaluated. And damping for each test is also theoretically analyzed and compared with measurements. Keywords：Rocking, Base-isolation, Frictional Hinge Damper, Damping Ratio, Shaking Table Tests.