Reduction methods for large structural systems have been reviewed. Mai emphasis is put on the dynamic reduction. Recently, the computing resources and technologies have been expanded so fast that the huge matrices Invoked In the analysis of structural system can be processed without serious difficulties. For most users, however, the computer facilities are limited and the system reductions in some forms are required. The reduction procedure in static problems is simple and straightforward. The major task is the book-keeping in computations. In dynamic problems and structural optimization. however. the problem is much more complicated. The problem is, in general, nonlinear and hence the exact solution is not available. Therefore, approximate solutions are sought in an iterative manner. A proper convergence criterion needs to be employed in order to get an accurate solution efficiently. Several research works have been reported fer the structural optimization combined with system reductions.

A concept of hierarchical modeling, the newest modeling technology. has been introduced early In 1990. This nu technology has a goat potential to advance the capabilities of current computational mechanics. A first step to Implement this concept is to construct hierarchical models, a family of mathematical models which are sequentially connected by a key parameter of the problem under consideration and have different levels in modeling accuracy, and to investigate characteristics In their numerical simulation aspects. Among representative model problems to explore this concept are elastic structures such as beam-, arch-. plate- and shell-like structures because the mechanical behavior through the thickness can be approximated with sequential accuracy by varying the order of thickness polynomials in the displacement or stress fields. But, in the numerical analysis of hierarchical models, two kinds of errors prevail: the modeling error and the numerical approximation errors. To ensure numerical simulation quality, an accurate estimation of these two errors Is definitely essential. Here, a local a posteriori error estimator for elastic structures with thin domain such as plate- and shell-like structures Is derived using element residuals and flux balancing technique. This method guarantees upper bounds for the global error, and also provides accurate local error Indicators for two types of errors, in the energy norm. Comparing to the classical error estimators using flux averaging technique, this shows considerably reliable and accurate effectivity indices. To illustrate the theoretical results and to verify the validity of the proposed error estimator, representative numerical examples are provided.

Theoretical analysis Is carried out to identify the modal coupling effect between some particular acoustic modes of a vehicle compartment cavity and vibration modes of body panels like side doors, roof or floor. A simplified panel-cavity coupled model is investigated on the coupled resonance frequencies, modes and frequency response characteristics. Through parametric study, It Is possible to explain how the acoustic response of a coupled system will be determined by the vibration and acoustic property of the individual panel and cavity system. Full coupled system shows some interesting features different from those of the semi-coupled system In frequency, mode and acoustic response.

A constitutive model on oorthotropic thermo-elasto-viscoplasticity for fiber-reinforced composite materials Is illustrated, and their thermomechanical responses are predicted with the fully-coupled finite element formulation. The unmixing-mixing scheme can be adopted with the multipartite matrix method as the constitutive model. Basic assumptions based upon the composite micromechanics are postulated, and the strain components of thermal expansion due to temperature change are included In the formulation. Also. more than two sets of mechanical variables, which represent the deformation states of multipartite matrix can be introduced arbitrarily. In particular, the unmixing-mixing scheme can be used with any well-known isotropic viscoplastic theory of the matrix material. The scheme unnecessitates the complex processes for developing an orthotropic viscoplastic theory. The governing equations based on fully-coupled thermomechanics are derived with constitutive arrangement by the unmixing-mixing concept. By considering some auxiliary conditions, the Initial-boundary value problem Is completely set up. As a tool of numerical analyses, the finite element method Is used with isoparametric Interpolation fer the displacement and the temperature fields. The equation of mutton and the energy conservation equation are spatially discretized, and then the time marching techniques such as the Newmark method and the Crank-Nicolson technique are applied. To solve the ultimate nonlinear simultaneous equations, a successive iteration algorithm is constructed with subincrementing technique. As a numerical study, a series of analyses are performed with the main focus on the thermomechanical coupling effect in composite materials. The progress of viscoplastic deformation, the stress-strain relation, and the temperature History are careful1y examined when composite laminates are subjected to repeated cyclic loading.

The bilinear formulation proposed earlier by Peters and Izadpanah to develop finite elements in time to solve undamped linear systems, Is extended (and found to be readily amenable) to develop time finite elements to obtain transient responses of both linear and nonlinear, and damped and undamped systems. The formulation Is used in the h-, p- and hp-versions. The resulting linear and nonlinear algebraic equations are differentiated to obtain the first- and second-order sensitivities of the transient response with respect to various system parameters. The present developments were tested on a series of linear and nonlinear examples and were found to yield, when compared with results obtained using other methods, excellent results for both the transient response and Its sensitivity to system parameters. Mostly. the results were obtained using the Legendre polynomials as basis functions, though. in some cases other orthogonal polynomials namely. the Hermite. the Chebyshev, and integrated Legendre polynomials were also employed (but to no great advantage). A key advantage of the time finite element method, and the one often overlooked in its past applications, is the ease In which the sensitivity of the transient response with respect to various system parameters can be obtained. The results of sensitivity analysis can be used for approximate schemes for efficient solution of design optimization problems. Also. the results can be applied to gradient-based parameter identification schemes.