Finite element model updating for structural damage detection using transmissibility data

This paper presents a new finite element model updating method for estimating structural parameters and detecting structural damage location and severity based on the structural responses(output-only data).The method uses the sensitivity relation of transmissibility data through a least-squares algorithm and appropriate normalization of the extracted equations.The proposed transmissibility-based sensitivity equation produces a more significant number of equations than the sensitivity equations based on the frequency response function(FRF),which can estimate the structural parameters with higher accuracy.The abilities of the proposed method are assessed by using numerical data of a two-story two-bay frame model and a plate structure model.In evaluating different damage cases,the number,location,and stiffness reduction of the damaged elements and the severity of the simulated damage have been accurately identified.The reliability and stability of the presented method against measurement and modeling errors are examined using error-contaminated data.The parameter estimation results prove the method’s capabilities as an accurate model updating algorithm.

YOLO-Based Damage Detection with StyleGAN3 Data Augmentation for Parcel Information-Recognition System

Damage to parcels reduces customer satisfactionwith delivery services and increases return-logistics costs.This can be prevented by detecting and addressing the damage before the parcels reach the customer.Consequently,various studies have been conducted on deep learning techniques related to the detection of parcel damage.This study proposes a deep learning-based damage detectionmethod for various types of parcels.Themethod is intended to be part of a parcel information-recognition systemthat identifies the volume and shipping information of parcels,and determines whether they are damaged;this method is intended for use in the actual parcel-transportation process.For this purpose,1)the study acquired image data in an environment simulating the actual parcel-transportation process,and 2)the training dataset was expanded based on StyleGAN3 with adaptive discriminator augmentation.Additionally,3)a preliminary distinction was made between the appearance of parcels and their damage status to enhance the performance of the parcel damage detection model and analyze the causes of parcel damage.Finally,using the dataset constructed based on the proposed method,a damage type detection model was trained,and its mean average precision was confirmed.This model can improve customer satisfaction and reduce return costs for parcel delivery companies.

基于改进Detection Transformer的棉花幼苗与杂草检测模型研究

基于深度学习的目标检测技术在棉花幼苗与杂草检测领域已取得一定进展。论文提出了基于改进Detection Transformer的棉花幼苗与杂草检测模型,以提高杂草目标检测的准确率和效率。首先,引入了可变形注意力模块替代原始模型中的Transformer注意力模块,提高模型对特征图目标形变的处理能力。提出新的降噪训练机制,解决了二分图匹配不稳定问题。提出混合查询选择策略,提高解码器对目标类别和位置信息的利用效率。使用Swin Transformer作为网络主干,提高模型特征提取能力。通过对比原网络,论文提出的模型方法在训练过程中表现出更快的收敛速度,并且在准确率方面提高了6.7%。

Damage detection with image processing: a comparative study

Large structures,such as bridges,highways,etc.,need to be inspected to evaluate their actual physical and functional condition,to predict future conditions,and to help decision makers allocating maintenance and rehabilitation resources.The assessment of civil infrastructure condition is carried out through information obtained by inspection and/or monitoring operations.Traditional techniques in structural health monitoring(SHM)involve visual inspection related to inspection standards that can be time-consuming data collection,expensive,labor intensive,and dangerous.To address these limitations,machine vision-based inspection procedures have increasingly been investigated within the research community.In this context,this paper proposes and compares four different computer vision procedures to identify damage by image processing:Otsu method thresholding,Markov random fields segmentation,RGB color detection technique,and K-means clustering algorithm.The first method is based on segmentation by thresholding that returns a binary image from a grayscale image.The Markov random fields technique uses a probabilistic approach to assign labels to model the spatial dependencies in image pixels.The RGB technique uses color detection to evaluate the defect extensions.Finally,K-means algorithm is based on Euclidean distance for clustering of the images.The benefits and limitations of each technique are discussed,and the challenges of using the techniques are highlighted.To show the effectiveness of the described techniques in damage detection of civil infrastructures,a case study is presented.Results show that various types of corrosion and cracks can be detected by image processing techniques making the proposed techniques a suitable tool for the prediction of the damage evolution in civil infrastructures.

Robust Damage Detection and Localization Under Complex Environmental Conditions Using Singular Value Decomposition-based Feature Extraction and One-dimensional Convolutional Neural Network

Ultrasonic guided wave is an attractive monitoring technique for large-scale structures but is vulnerable to changes in environmental and operational conditions(EOC),which are inevitable in the normal inspection of civil and mechanical structures.This paper thus presents a robust guided wave-based method for damage detection and localization under complex environmental conditions by singular value decomposition-based feature extraction and one-dimensional convolutional neural network(1D-CNN).After singular value decomposition-based feature extraction processing,a temporal robust damage index(TRDI)is extracted,and the effect of EOCs is well removed.Hence,even for the signals with a very large temperature-varying range and low signal-to-noise ratios(SNRs),the final damage detection and localization accuracy retain perfect 100%.Verifications are conducted on two different experimental datasets.The first dataset consists of guided wave signals collected from a thin aluminum plate with artificial noises,and the second is a publicly available experimental dataset of guided wave signals acquired on a composite plate with a temperature ranging from 20℃to 60℃.It is demonstrated that the proposed method can detect and localize the damage accurately and rapidly,showing great potential for application in complex and unknown EOC.

A Hybrid Intrusion Detection Method Based on Convolutional Neural Network and AdaBoost

To solve the problem of poor detection and limited application range of current intrusion detection methods,this paper attempts to use deep learning neural network technology to study a new type of intrusion detection method.Hence,we proposed an intrusion detection algorithm based on convolutional neural network(CNN)and AdaBoost algorithm.This algorithm uses CNN to extract the characteristics of network traffic data,which is particularly suitable for the analysis of continuous and classified attack data.The AdaBoost algorithm is used to classify network attack data that improved the detection effect of unbalanced data classification.We adopt the UNSW-NB15 dataset to test of this algorithm in the PyCharm environment.The results show that the detection rate of algorithm is99.27%and the false positive rate is lower than 0.98%.Comparative analysis shows that this algorithm has advantages over existing methods in terms of detection rate and false positive rate for small proportion of attack data.

Modulation of p75 neurotrophin receptor mitigates brain damage following ischemic stroke in mice

Stroke is a significant leading cause of death and disability in the United States(Tsao et al.,2022).Approximately 87% of strokes fall into the ischemic category,mainly caused by arterial blockage(Jayaraj et al.,2019).Although the only FDA-approved effective medication is tissue plasminogen activator(tPA),it should be administrated within 4.5 hours of ischemic stroke.Furthermore,tPA has been an integral part of managing acute ischemic stro ke.

IDS-INT:Intrusion detection system using transformer-based transfer learning for imbalanced network traffic

A network intrusion detection system is critical for cyber security against llegitimate attacks.In terms of feature perspectives,network traffic may include a variety of elements such as attack reference,attack type,a subcategory of attack,host information,malicious scripts,etc.In terms of network perspectives,network traffic may contain an imbalanced number of harmful attacks when compared to normal traffic.It is challenging to identify a specific attack due to complex features and data imbalance issues.To address these issues,this paper proposes an Intrusion Detection System using transformer-based transfer learning for Imbalanced Network Traffic(IDS-INT).IDS-INT uses transformer-based transfer learning to learn feature interactions in both network feature representation and imbalanced data.First,detailed information about each type of attack is gathered from network interaction descriptions,which include network nodes,attack type,reference,host information,etc.Second,the transformer-based transfer learning approach is developed to learn detailed feature representation using their semantic anchors.Third,the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique(SMOTE)is implemented to balance abnormal traffic and detect minority attacks.Fourth,the Convolution Neural Network(CNN)model is designed to extract deep features from the balanced network traffic.Finally,the hybrid approach of the CNN-Long Short-Term Memory(CNN-LSTM)model is developed to detect different types of attacks from the deep features.Detailed experiments are conducted to test the proposed approach using three standard datasets,i.e.,UNsWNB15,CIC-IDS2017,and NSL-KDD.An explainable AI approach is implemented to interpret the proposed method and develop a trustable model.

A review of reservoir damage during hydraulic fracturing of deep and ultra-deep reservoirs

Deep and ultra-deep reservoirs have gradually become the primary focus of hydrocarbon exploration as a result of a series of significant discoveries in deep hydrocarbon exploration worldwide.These reservoirs present unique challenges due to their deep burial depth(4500-8882 m),low matrix permeability,complex crustal stress conditions,high temperature and pressure(HTHP,150-200℃,105-155 MPa),coupled with high salinity of formation water.Consequently,the costs associated with their exploitation and development are exceptionally high.In deep and ultra-deep reservoirs,hydraulic fracturing is commonly used to achieve high and stable production.During hydraulic fracturing,a substantial volume of fluid is injected into the reservoir.However,statistical analysis reveals that the flowback rate is typically less than 30%,leaving the majority of the fluid trapped within the reservoir.Therefore,hydraulic fracturing in deep reservoirs not only enhances the reservoir permeability by creating artificial fractures but also damages reservoirs due to the fracturing fluids involved.The challenging“three-high”environment of a deep reservoir,characterized by high temperature,high pressure,and high salinity,exacerbates conventional forms of damage,including water sensitivity,retention of fracturing fluids,rock creep,and proppant breakage.In addition,specific damage mechanisms come into play,such as fracturing fluid decomposition at elevated temperatures and proppant diagenetic reactions at HTHP conditions.Presently,the foremost concern in deep oil and gas development lies in effectively assessing the damage inflicted on these reservoirs by hydraulic fracturing,comprehending the underlying mechanisms,and selecting appropriate solutions.It's noteworthy that the majority of existing studies on reservoir damage primarily focus on conventional reservoirs,with limited attention given to deep reservoirs and a lack of systematic summaries.In light of this,our approach entails initially summarizing the current knowledge pertaining to the types of fracturing fluids employed in deep and ultra-deep reservoirs.Subsequently,we delve into a systematic examination of the damage processes and mechanisms caused by fracturing fluids within the context of hydraulic fracturing in deep reservoirs,taking into account the unique reservoir characteristics of high temperature,high pressure,and high in-situ stress.In addition,we provide an overview of research progress related to high-temperature deep reservoir fracturing fluid and the damage of aqueous fracturing fluids to rock matrix,both artificial and natural fractures,and sand-packed fractures.We conclude by offering a summary of current research advancements and future directions,which hold significant potential for facilitating the efficient development of deep oil and gas reservoirs while effectively mitigating reservoir damage.

Esophageal cancer screening,early detection and treatment:Current insights and future directions

Esophageal cancer ranks among the most prevalent malignant tumors globally,primarily due to its highly aggressive nature and poor survival rates.According to the 2020 global cancer statistics,there were approximately 604000 new cases of esophageal cancer,resulting in 544000 deaths.The 5-year survival rate hovers around a mere 15%-25%.Notably,distinct variations exist in the risk factors associated with the two primary histological types,influencing their worldwide incidence and distribution.Squamous cell carcinoma displays a high incidence in specific regions,such as certain areas in China,where it meets the cost-effect-iveness criteria for widespread endoscopy-based early diagnosis within the local population.Conversely,adenocarcinoma(EAC)represents the most common histological subtype of esophageal cancer in Europe and the United States.The role of early diagnosis in cases of EAC originating from Barrett's esophagus(BE)remains a subject of controversy.The effectiveness of early detection for EAC,particularly those arising from BE,continues to be a debated topic.The variations in how early-stage esophageal carcinoma is treated in different regions are largely due to the differing rates of early-stage cancer diagnoses.In areas with higher incidences,such as China and Japan,early diagnosis is more common,which has led to the advancement of endoscopic methods as definitive treatments.These techniques have demonstrated remarkable efficacy with minimal complications while preserving esophageal functionality.Early screening,prompt diagnosis,and timely treatment are key strategies that can significantly lower both the occurrence and death rates associated with esophageal cancer.

Rockburst criterion and evaluation method for potential rockburst pit depth considering excavation damage effect

Excavation-induced disturbances in deep tunnels will lead to deterioration of rock properties and formation of excavation damaged zone(EDZ).This excavation damage effect may affect the potential rockburst pit depth.Taking two diversion tunnels of Jinping II hydropower station for example,the relationship between rockburst pit depth and excavation damage effect is first surveyed.The results indicate that the rockburst pit depth in tunnels with severe damage to rock masses is relatively large.Subsequently,the excavation-induced damage effect is characterized by disturbance factor D based on the Hoek-Brown criterion and wave velocity method.It is found that the EDZ could be further divided into a high-damage zone(HDZ)with D=1 and weak-damage zone(WDZ),and D decays from one to zero linearly.For this,a quantitative evaluation method for potential rockburst pit depth is established by presenting a three-element rockburst criterion considering rock strength,geostress and disturbance factor.The evaluation results obtained by this method match well with actual observations.In addition,the weakening of rock mass strength promotes the formation and expansion of potential rockburst pits.The potential rockburst pit depth is positively correlated with HDZ and WDZ depths,and the HDZ depth has a significant contribution to the potential rockburst pit depth.

Enhanced structural damage behavior of liquid-filled tank by reactive material projectile impact

A series of ballistic experiments were performed to investigate the damage behavior of high velocity reactive material projectiles(RMPs) impacting liquid-filled tanks,and the corresponding hydrodynamic ram(HRAM) was studied in detail.PTFE/Al/W RMPs with steel-like and aluminum-like densities were prepared by a pressing/sintering process.The projectiles impacted a liquid-filled steel tank with front aluminum panel at approximately 1250 m/s.The corresponding cavity evolution characteristics and HRAM pressure were recorded by high-speed camera and pressure acquisition system,and further compared to those of steel and aluminum projectiles.Significantly different from the conical cavity formed by the inert metal projectile,the cavity formed by the RMP appeared as an ellipsoid with a conical front.The RMPs were demonstrated to enhance the radial growth velocity of cavity,the global HRAM pressure amplitude and the front panel damage,indicating the enhanced HRAM and structural damage behavior.Furthermore,combining the impact-induced fragmentation and deflagration characteristics,the cavity evolution of RMPs under the combined effect of kinetic energy impact and chemical energy release was analyzed.The mechanism of enhanced HRAM pressure induced by the RMPs was further revealed based on the theoretical model of the initial impact wave and the impulse analysis.Finally,the linear correlation between the deformation-thickness ratio and the non-dimensional impulse for the front panel was obtained and analyzed.It was determined that the enhanced near-field impulse induced by the RMPs was the dominant reason for the enhanced structural damage behavior.

Feature extraction for machine learning-based intrusion detection in IoT networks

A large number of network security breaches in IoT networks have demonstrated the unreliability of current Network Intrusion Detection Systems(NIDSs).Consequently,network interruptions and loss of sensitive data have occurred,which led to an active research area for improving NIDS technologies.In an analysis of related works,it was observed that most researchers aim to obtain better classification results by using a set of untried combinations of Feature Reduction(FR)and Machine Learning(ML)techniques on NIDS datasets.However,these datasets are different in feature sets,attack types,and network design.Therefore,this paper aims to discover whether these techniques can be generalised across various datasets.Six ML models are utilised:a Deep Feed Forward(DFF),Convolutional Neural Network(CNN),Recurrent Neural Network(RNN),Decision Tree(DT),Logistic Regression(LR),and Naive Bayes(NB).The accuracy of three Feature Extraction(FE)algorithms is detected;Principal Component Analysis(PCA),Auto-encoder(AE),and Linear Discriminant Analysis(LDA),are evaluated using three benchmark datasets:UNSW-NB15,ToN-IoT and CSE-CIC-IDS2018.Although PCA and AE algorithms have been widely used,the determination of their optimal number of extracted dimensions has been overlooked.The results indicate that no clear FE method or ML model can achieve the best scores for all datasets.The optimal number of extracted dimensions has been identified for each dataset,and LDA degrades the performance of the ML models on two datasets.The variance is used to analyse the extracted dimensions of LDA and PCA.Finally,this paper concludes that the choice of datasets significantly alters the performance of the applied techniques.We believe that a universal(benchmark)feature set is needed to facilitate further advancement and progress of research in this field.

YOLO-DD:Improved YOLOv5 for Defect Detection

As computer technology continues to advance,factories have increasingly higher demands for detecting defects.However,detecting defects in a plant environment remains a challenging task due to the presence of complex backgrounds and defects of varying shapes and sizes.To address this issue,this paper proposes YOLO-DD,a defect detectionmodel based on YOLOv5 that is effective and robust.To improve the feature extraction process and better capture global information,the vanilla YOLOv5 is augmented with a new module called Relative-Distance-Aware Transformer(RDAT).Additionally,an Information Gap Filling Strategy(IGFS)is proposed to improve the fusion of features at different scales.The classic lightweight attention mechanism Squeeze-and-Excitation(SE)module is also incorporated into the neck section to enhance feature expression and improve the model’s performance.Experimental results on the NEU-DET dataset demonstrate that YOLO-DDachieves competitive results compared to state-of-the-art methods,with a 2.0% increase in accuracy compared to the original YOLOv5,achieving 82.41% accuracy and38.25FPS(framesper second).Themodel is also testedon a self-constructed fabric defect dataset,and the results show that YOLO-DD is more stable and has higher accuracy than the original YOLOv5,demonstrating its stability and generalization ability.The high efficiency of YOLO-DD enables it to meet the requirements of industrial high accuracy and real-time detection.

Detection of Turbulence Anomalies Using a Symbolic Classifier Algorithm in Airborne Quick Access Record(QAR)Data Analysis

As the risks associated with air turbulence are intensified by climate change and the growth of the aviation industry,it has become imperative to monitor and mitigate these threats to ensure civil aviation safety.The eddy dissipation rate(EDR)has been established as the standard metric for quantifying turbulence in civil aviation.This study aims to explore a universally applicable symbolic classification approach based on genetic programming to detect turbulence anomalies using quick access recorder(QAR)data.The detection of atmospheric turbulence is approached as an anomaly detection problem.Comparative evaluations demonstrate that this approach performs on par with direct EDR calculation methods in identifying turbulence events.Moreover,comparisons with alternative machine learning techniques indicate that the proposed technique is the optimal methodology currently available.In summary,the use of symbolic classification via genetic programming enables accurate turbulence detection from QAR data,comparable to that with established EDR approaches and surpassing that achieved with machine learning algorithms.This finding highlights the potential of integrating symbolic classifiers into turbulence monitoring systems to enhance civil aviation safety amidst rising environmental and operational hazards.

Enhancing Dense Small Object Detection in UAV Images Based on Hybrid Transformer

Transformer-based models have facilitated significant advances in object detection.However,their extensive computational consumption and suboptimal detection of dense small objects curtail their applicability in unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)imagery.Addressing these limitations,we propose a hybrid transformer-based detector,H-DETR,and enhance it for dense small objects,leading to an accurate and efficient model.Firstly,we introduce a hybrid transformer encoder,which integrates a convolutional neural network-based cross-scale fusion module with the original encoder to handle multi-scale feature sequences more efficiently.Furthermore,we propose two novel strategies to enhance detection performance without incurring additional inference computation.Query filter is designed to cope with the dense clustering inherent in drone-captured images by counteracting similar queries with a training-aware non-maximum suppression.Adversarial denoising learning is a novel enhancement method inspired by adversarial learning,which improves the detection of numerous small targets by counteracting the effects of artificial spatial and semantic noise.Extensive experiments on the VisDrone and UAVDT datasets substantiate the effectiveness of our approach,achieving a significant improvement in accuracy with a reduction in computational complexity.Our method achieves 31.9%and 21.1%AP on the VisDrone and UAVDT datasets,respectively,and has a faster inference speed,making it a competitive model in UAV image object detection.

A methodology for damage evaluation of underground tunnels subjected to static loading using numerical modeling

We have proposed a methodology to assess the robustness of underground tunnels against potential failure.This involves developing vulnerability functions for various qualities of rock mass and static loading intensities.To account for these variations,we utilized a Monte Carlo Simulation(MCS)technique coupled with the finite difference code FLAC^(3D),to conduct two thousand seven hundred numerical simulations of a horseshoe tunnel located within a rock mass with different geological strength index system(GSIs)and subjected to different states of static loading.To quantify the severity of damage within the rock mass,we selected one stress-based(brittle shear ratio(BSR))and one strain-based failure criterion(plastic damage index(PDI)).Based on these criteria,we then developed fragility curves.Additionally,we used mathematical approximation techniques to produce vulnerability functions that relate the probabilities of various damage states to loading intensities for different quality classes of blocky rock mass.The results indicated that the fragility curves we obtained could accurately depict the evolution of the inner and outer shell damage around the tunnel.Therefore,we have provided engineers with a tool that can predict levels of damages associated with different failure mechanisms based on variations in rock mass quality and in situ stress state.Our method is a numerically developed,multi-variate approach that can aid engineers in making informed decisions about the robustness of underground tunnels.

An Intelligent SDN-IoT Enabled Intrusion Detection System for Healthcare Systems Using a Hybrid Deep Learning and Machine Learning Approach

The advent of pandemics such as COVID-19 significantly impacts human behaviour and lives every day.Therefore,it is essential to make medical services connected to internet,available in every remote location during these situations.Also,the security issues in the Internet of Medical Things(IoMT)used in these service,make the situation even more critical because cyberattacks on the medical devices might cause treatment delays or clinical failures.Hence,services in the healthcare ecosystem need rapid,uninterrupted,and secure facilities.The solution provided in this research addresses security concerns and services availability for patients with critical health in remote areas.This research aims to develop an intelligent Software Defined Networks(SDNs)enabled secure framework for IoT healthcare ecosystem.We propose a hybrid of machine learning and deep learning techniques(DNN+SVM)to identify network intrusions in the sensor-based healthcare data.In addition,this system can efficiently monitor connected devices and suspicious behaviours.Finally,we evaluate the performance of our proposed framework using various performance metrics based on the healthcare application scenarios.the experimental results show that the proposed approach effectively detects and mitigates attacks in the SDN-enabled IoT networks and performs better that other state-of-art-approaches.

Defect Detection Model Using Time Series Data Augmentation and Transformation

Time-series data provide important information in many fields,and their processing and analysis have been the focus of much research.However,detecting anomalies is very difficult due to data imbalance,temporal dependence,and noise.Therefore,methodologies for data augmentation and conversion of time series data into images for analysis have been studied.This paper proposes a fault detection model that uses time series data augmentation and transformation to address the problems of data imbalance,temporal dependence,and robustness to noise.The method of data augmentation is set as the addition of noise.It involves adding Gaussian noise,with the noise level set to 0.002,to maximize the generalization performance of the model.In addition,we use the Markov Transition Field(MTF)method to effectively visualize the dynamic transitions of the data while converting the time series data into images.It enables the identification of patterns in time series data and assists in capturing the sequential dependencies of the data.For anomaly detection,the PatchCore model is applied to show excellent performance,and the detected anomaly areas are represented as heat maps.It allows for the detection of anomalies,and by applying an anomaly map to the original image,it is possible to capture the areas where anomalies occur.The performance evaluation shows that both F1-score and Accuracy are high when time series data is converted to images.Additionally,when processed as images rather than as time series data,there was a significant reduction in both the size of the data and the training time.The proposed method can provide an important springboard for research in the field of anomaly detection using time series data.Besides,it helps solve problems such as analyzing complex patterns in data lightweight.

Damage evolution of rock-encased-backfill structure under stepwise cyclic triaxial loading

Rock-encased-backfill(RB)structures are common in underground mining,for example in the cut-andfill and stoping methods.To understand the effects of cyclic excavation and blasting activities on the damage of these RB structures,a series of triaxial stepwise-increasing-amplitude cyclic loading experiments was conducted with cylindrical RB specimens(rock on outside,backfill on inside)with different volume fractions of rock(VF=0.48,0.61,0.73,and 0.84),confining pressures(0,6,9,and 12 MPa),and cyclic loading rates(200,300,400,and 500 N/s).The damage evolution and meso-crack formation during the cyclic tests were analyzed with results from stress-strain hysteresis loops,acoustic emission events,and post-failure X-ray 3D fracture morphology.The results showed significant differences between cyclic and monotonic loadings of RB specimens,particularly with regard to the generation of shear microcracks,the development of stress memory and strain hardening,and the contact forces and associated friction that develops along the rock-backfill interface.One important finding is that as a function of the number of cycles,the elastic strain increases linearly and the dissipated energy increases exponentially.Also,compared with monotonic loading,the cyclic strain hardening characteristics are more sensitive to rising confining pressures during the initial compaction stage.Another finding is that compared with monotonic loading,more shear microcracks are generated during every reloading stage,but these microcracks tend to be dispersed and lessen the likelihood of large shear fracture formation.The transition from elastic to plastic behavior varies depending on the parameters of each test(confinement,volume fraction,and cyclic rate),and an interesting finding was that the transformation to plastic behavior is significantly lower under the conditions of 0.73 rock volume fraction,400 N/s cyclic loading rate,and 9 MPa confinement.All the findings have important practical implications on the ability of backfill to support underground excavations.