This study deals with a method based on the modified bivariate gamma function for reconstructions of dynamic behavior of delaminated composite plates subjected to impact loads. The proposed bivariate gamma function is associated with micro-genetic algorithms, which is capable of solving inverse problems to determine the stiffness reduction associated with delamination. From computing the unknown parameters, it is possible for the entire dynamic response data to develop a prediction model of the dynamic response through a regression analysis based on the measurement data. The validity of the proposed method was verified by comparing with results employing a higher-order finite element model. Parametric results revealed that the proposed method can reconstruct dynamic responses and the stiffness reduction of delaminated composite plates can be investigated for different measurements and loading locations.

A nonlinear finite element model (FEM) using ATENA-3D software to simulate the axially compressive behavior of circular steel tube confined concrete (CSTCC) columns infilled with ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) was presented in this paper. Some modifications to the material type "CC3DNonlinCementitious2User" of UHPC without and with the incorporation of steel fibers (UHPFRC) in compression and tension were adopted in FEM. The predictions of utimate strength and axial load versus axial strain curves obtained from FEM were in a good agreement with the test results of eighteen tested columns. Based on the results of FEM, the load distribution on the steel tube and the concrete core was derived for each modeled column. Furthermore, the effect of bonding between the steel tube and the concrete core was clarified by the change of friction coefficient in the material type "CC3DInterface" in FEM. The numerical results revealed that the increase in the friction coefficient leads to a greater contribution from the steel tube, a decrease in the ultimate load and an increase in the magnitude of the loss of load capacity. By comparing the results of FEM with experimental results, the appropriate friction coefficient between the steel tube and the concrete core was defined as 0.3 to 0.6. In addition to the numerical evaluation, eighteen analytical models for confined concrete in the literature were used to predict the peak confined strength to assess their suitability. To cope with CSTCC stub and intermediate columns, the equations for estimating the lateral confining stress and the equations for considering the slenderness in the selected models were proposed. It was found that all selected models except for EC2 (2004) gave a very good prediction. Among them, the model of Bing et al. (2001) was the best predictor.

The influence of two parameters on fatigue damage predictions of a variably loaded cantilever beam has been examined. The first parameter is the geometry of the cantilever beam and the weld connecting it to a rear panel. Variables of the geometry examined here include the cantilever length, the weld width on the critical cross-section and the angle of the critical cross-section. The second parameter is the safety factor, as set out by the Eurocode 3 standard. An analytical approach has been used to calculate the stresses at the critical cross-section and standard rainflow counting has been used for the extraction of the load cycles from the load history. The results here suggest that a change in the width and angle of the critical cross-section has a non-linear impact on the fatigue damage. The results also show that the angle of the critical cross-section has the biggest influence on the fatigue damage and can cause the weld to withstand fatigue better. The second parameter, the safety factor, is shown to have a significant effect on the fatigue damage calculation, whereby a slight increase in the endurance safety factor can cause the calculated fatigue damage to increase considerably.

Due to various numerical problems, crack analysis of reinforced concrete members using the finite element method is confronting with substantial difficulties, rendering the prediction of crack patterns and crack widths a formidable task. The root cause is that the conventional analysis methods are not capable of tracking the crack sequence and accounting for the stress relief and re-distribution during cracking. To address this deficiency, the crack queuing algorithm has been proposed. Basically, at each load increment, iterations are carried out and within each iteration step, only the most critical concrete element is allowed to crack and the stress re-distribution is captured in subsequent iteration by re-formulating the cracked concrete element and re-analysing the whole concrete structure. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the crack queuing algorithm, crack analysis of concrete members tested in the literature is performed with and without the crack queuing algorithm incorporated.

This work deals with the size-dependent wave propagation analysis of functionally graded (FG) anisotropic nanoplates based on a nonlocal strain gradient refined plate model. The present model incorporates two scale coefficients to examine wave dispersion relations more accurately. Material properties of FG anisotropic nanoplates are exponentially varying in the z-direction. In order to solve the governing equations for bulk waves, an analytical method is performed and wave frequencies and phase velocities are obtained as a function of wave number. The influences of several important parameters such as material graduation exponent, geometry, Winkler-Pasternak foundation parameters and wave number on the wave propagation of FG anisotropic nanoplates resting on the elastic foundation are investigated and discussed in detail. It is concluded that these parameters play significant roles on the wave propagation behavior of the nanoplates. From the best knowledge of authors, it is the first time that FG nanoplate made of anisotropic materials is investigated, so, presented numerical results can serve as benchmarks for future analysis of such structures.

Strengthening with near surface mounted carbon fibre reinforced polymers (NSM-CFRP) is a strengthening technique that have been used for several decades to increase the load carrying capacity of reinforced concrete members. In Iraq, many concrete buildings and bridges were subjected to a wide range of damage as a result of the last war and many other events. Accordingly, there is a progressive increase in the strengthening of concrete structures, bridges in particular, by using CFRP strengthening techniques. Near-surface mounted carbon fibre polymer has been recently proved as a powerful strengthening technique in which the CFRP strips are sufficiently protected against external environmental conditions especially the high-temperature rates in Iraq. However, this technique has not been examined yet under repeated loading conditions such as traffic loads on bridge girders. The main objective of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of NSM-CFRP strips in reinforced concrete beams under repeated loads. Different parameters such as the number of strips, groove size, and two types of bonding materials (epoxy resin and cement-based adhesive) were considered. Fifteen NSM-CFRP strengthened beams were tested under concentrated monotonic and repeated loadings. Three beams were non-strengthened as reference specimens while the remaining were strengthened with NSM-CFRP strips and divided into three groups. Each group comprises two beams tested under monotonic loads and used as control for those tested under repeated loads in the same group. The experimental results are discussed in terms of load-deflection behavior up to failure, ductility factor, cumulative energy absorption, number of cycles to failure, and the mode of failure. The test results proved that strengthening with NSM-CFRP strips increased both the flexural strength and stiffness of the tested beams. An increase in load carrying capacity was obtained in a range of (1.47 to 4.49) times that for the non-strengthened specimens. Also, the increase in total area of CFRPs showed a slight increase in flexural capacity of (1.02) times the value of the control strengthened one tested under repeated loading. Increasing the total area of CFRP strips resulted in a reduction in ductility factor reached to (0.71) while the cumulative energy absorption increased by (1.22) times the values of the strengthened reference specimens tested under repeated loading. Moreover, the replacement of epoxy resin with cement-based adhesive as a bonding material exhibited higher ductility than specimen with epoxy resin tested under monotonic and repeated loading.

In this paper, a hybrid uncertain model is applied to system reliability based design optimization (RBDO) of trusses. All random variables are described by random distributions but some key distribution parameters of them which lack information are defined by variation intervals. For system RBDO of trusses, the first order reliability method, as well as monotonicity analysis and the branch and bound method, are utilized to determine the system failure probability; and Improved (${\mu}+{\lambda}$) constrained differential evolution (ICDE) is employed for the optimization process. System reliability assessment of several numerical examples and system RBDO of different truss structures are proposed to verify our results. Moreover, the effect of different classes of interval distribution parameters on the optimum weight of the structure and the reliability index are also investigated. The results indicate that the weight of the structure is increased by increasing the uncertainty level. Moreover, it is shown that for a certain random variable, the optimum weight is more increased by the translation interval parameters than the rotation ones.

Using the classical, first order and third order shear deformation plates theories the motion equations of an undrained porous FG circular plate which is located on visco-Pasternak elastic foundation have been derived and used for free vibration analysis thereof. Strains are related to displacements by Sanders relationship. Fluid has saturated the pores whose distribution varies through the thickness according to three physically probable given functions. The equations are discretized and numerically solved by the generalized differential quadrature method. The effect of porosity, pores distribution, fluid compressibility, viscoelastic foundation and aspect ratio of the plate on its vibration has been considered.

In the classical stability investigation of rectangular plates the classical thin plate theory (CPT) is often employed, so omitting the transverse shear deformation effect. It seems quite clear that this procedure is not totally appropriate for the investigation of moderately thick plates, so that in the following the first shear deformation theory proposed by Meksi et al. (2015), that permits to consider the transverse shear deformation influences, is used for the stability investigation of simply supported isotropic rectangular plates subjected to uni-axial and bi-axial compression loading. The obtained results are compared with those of CPT and, for rectangular plates under uniaxial compression, a novel direct formula, similar to the conventional Bryan's expression, is found for the Euler stability stress. The accuracy of the present model is also ascertained by comparing it, with model proposed by Piscopo (2010).

A nine node isoparametric plate bending element is used for bending analysis of laminated composite skew cylindrical shell panels. Both thick and thin shell panels are solved. Rotary inertia and shear deformation are incorporated by considering first order shear deformation theory. The analysis is performed considering shallow shell theory. Both shallow and moderately deep skew cylindrical shells are investigated. Skew cylindrical shell panels having different thickness ratios (h/a), radius to length ratios (R/a), ply angle orientations, number of layers, aspect ratio (b/a), boundary conditions and various loading (concentrated, uniformly distributed, linear varying and doubly sinusoidal varying) conditions are analysed. Various new results are presented.