• Computers and Concrete
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.377-402
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• 2007

The paper presents quasi-static plane strain FE-simulations of strain localization in reinforced concrete beams without stirrups. The material was modeled with two different isotropic continuum crack models: an elasto-plastic and a damage one. In case of elasto-plasticity, linear Drucker-Prager criterion with a non-associated flow rule was defined in the compressive regime and a Rankine criterion with an associated flow rule was adopted in the tensile regime. In the case of a damage model, the degradation of the material due to micro-cracking was described with a single scalar damage parameter. To ensure the mesh-independence and to capture size effects, both criteria were enhanced in a softening regime by nonlocal terms. Thus, a characteristic length of micro-structure was included. The effect of a characteristic length, reinforcement ratio, bond-slip stiffness, fracture energy and beam size on strain localization was investigated. The numerical results with reinforced concrete beams were quantitatively compared with corresponding laboratory tests by Walraven (1978).

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.501-515
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• 2014

This paper presents a linear computational homogenization framework to evaluate the effective (or generalized) electromechanical coupling coefficient (EMCC) of adaptive structures with piezoelectric structural fiber (PSF) composite elements. The PSF consists of a silicon carbide (SiC) or carbon core fiber as reinforcement to a fragile piezo-ceramic shell. For the micro-scale analysis, a micromechanics model based on the variational asymptotic method for unit cell homogenization (VAMUCH) is used to evaluate the overall electromechanical properties of the PSF composites. At the macro-scale, a finite element (FE) analysis with the commercial FE code ABAQUS is performed to evaluate the effective EMCC for structures with the PSF composite patches. The EMCC is postprocessed from free-vibrations analysis under short-circuit (SC) and open-circuit (OC) electrodes of the patches. This linear two-scale computational framework may be useful for the optimal design of active structure multi-functional composites which can be used for multi-functional applications such as structural health monitoring, power harvest, vibration sensing and control, damping, and shape control through anisotropic actuation.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.579-594
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• 2013

A new enthalpy - based procedure for the homogenization of the electromechanical material parameters of composite piezoelectric modules with integrated electrodes is presented. It is based on a finite element (FE) modeling of the latter's representative volume element (RVE). In contrast to most previously published homogenization approaches that are based on averaged quantities, the presented method uses a direct evaluation of the electromechanical enthalpy. Hence, for the linear orthotropic piezoelectric composite behavior full set of elastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric material parameters, 17 load cases (LC) are used where each load case leads directly to one material parameter. This gives the possibility to elaborate a very strict and easy to program processing. In conjunction with the 17 LC, the enthalpy - based homogenization is particularly suitable for laminated composite piezoelectric modules with integrated electrodes. In this case, the electric load has to be given at the electrodes rather than at the RVE FE model boundaries. The proposed procedure is validated through its comparison to literature available results on a classical 1-3 piezoelectric micro fiber (longitudinally polarized) reinforced composite and a $d_{15}$ shear piezoelectric macro-fiber (transversely polarized) composite module.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.485-501
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• 2015

Cooling by the flow of water through an embedded cooling pipe has become a common and effective artificial thermal control measure for massive concrete structures. However, an extreme thermal gradient induces significant thermal stress, resulting in thermal cracking. Using a mesoscopic finite-element (FE) mesh, three-phase composites of concrete namely aggregate, mortar matrix and interfacial transition zone (ITZ) are modeled. An equivalent probabilistic model is presented for failure study of concrete by assuming that the material properties conform to the Weibull distribution law. Meanwhile, the correlation coefficient introduced by the statistical method is incorporated into the Weibull distribution formula. Subsequently, a series of numerical analyses are used for investigating the influence of the correlation coefficient on tensile strength and the failure process of concrete based on the equivalent probabilistic model. Finally, as an engineering application, damage and failure behavior of concrete cracks induced by a water-cooling pipe are analyzed in-depth by the presented model. Results show that the random distribution of concrete mechanical parameters and the temperature gradient near water-cooling pipe have a significant influence on the pattern and failure progress of temperature-induced micro-cracking in concrete.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.515-545
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• 2015

The paper presents results of FE simulations of the strain-rate sensitive concrete behaviour under dynamic loading at the macroscopic level. To take the loading velocity effect into account, viscosity, stress modifications and inertial effects were included into a rate-independent elasto-plastic formulation. In addition, a decrease of the material stiffness was considered for a very high loading velocity to simulate fragmentation. In order to ensure the mesh-independence and to properly reproduce strain localization in the entire range of loading velocities, a constitutive formulation was enhanced by a characteristic length of micro-structure using a non-local theory. Numerical results were compared with corresponding laboratory tests and available analytical formulae.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.45-68
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• 2009

An aim of the study is to develop an efficient numerical simulation technique that can handle the two-scale analysis of fluid permeation filters fabricated by the partial sintering technique of small spherical ceramics. A solid-fluid mixture homogenization method is introduced to predict the mechanical characters such as rigidity and permeability of the porous ceramic filters from the micro-scale geometry and configuration of partially-sintered particles. An extended finite element (X-FE) discretization technique based on the enriched interpolations of respective characteristic functions at fluid-solid interfaces is proposed for the non-interface-fitted mesh solution of the micro-scale analysis that needs non-slip condition at the interface between solid and fluid phases of the unit cell. The homogenization and localization performances of the proposed method are shown in a typical two-dimensional benchmark problem whose model has a hole in center. Three-dimensional applications to the body-centered cubic (BCC) and face-centered cubic (FCC) unit cell models are also shown in the paper. The 3D application is prepared toward the computer-aided optimal design of ceramic filters. The accuracy and stability of the X-FEM based method are comparable to those of the standard interface-fitted FEM, and are superior to those of the voxel type FEM that is often used in such complex micro geometry cases.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.42-46
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• 2016

Hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC) is one of the most complicated problem in welding. Huge amount of studies have been done for decades. Based on them, various standards have been established to avoid HAC. But it is still a chronic problem in industrial field. It is well known that the main causes of the hydrogen crack are residual stress, crack susceptible micro structures and a certain critical level of hydrogen concentration. Even though the exact generating mechanism is unclear till today, it has been reported that the hydrogen level in the weld metal should be managed less than a certain amount to prevent it. Matsuda studied that the residual hydrogen level in the weld metal can be varied even if the initial hydrogen content is same. It is also insisted in this report that the residual hydrogen concentration is in stronger correlation with hydrogen crack than the initial hydrogen content. But, in practical point of view, the residual hydrogen is still hard to consider because measuring hydrogen level is time and cost consuming process. In this regard, numerical analysis is the only solution for considering the residual hydrogen content. Meanwhile, Takahashi showed the possibility of predicting the residual hydrogen by a rigorous FE analysis. But, few commercial software suitable for solving the weld metal hydrogen has been reported yet. In this study, two dimensional thermal - hydrogen coupled analysis was developed by using the commercial FE software MARC. Since the governing equation of the hydrogen diffusion is similar to the heat transfer, it is shown that the heat transfer FE analysis in association with hydrogen diffusion property can be used for hydrogen diffusion analysis. A series of simulation was performed to verify the accuracy of the model. For BOP (Bead-On-Plate) and the multi-pass butt welding simulations, remaining hydrogen contents in the weld metal is well matched with measurements which are referred from Kim and Masamitsu.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.329-334
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• 2023

The classical multiscale finite element (FE² ) method involves iterative calculations of micro-boundary value problems for representative volume elements at every integration point in macro scale, making it a computationally time and data storage space. To overcome this, we developed the data-driven multiscale analysis method based on the mean-field homogenization (MFH). Data-driven computational mechanics (DDCM) analysis is a model-free approach that directly utilizes strain-stress datasets. For performing multiscale analysis, we efficiently construct a strain-stress database for the microstructure of composite materials using mean-field homogenization and conduct data-driven computational mechanics simulations based on this database. In this paper, we apply the developed multiscale analysis framework to an example, confirming the results of data-driven computational mechanics simulations considering the microstructure of a hyperelastic composite material. Therefore, the application of data-driven computational mechanics approach in multiscale analysis can be applied to various materials and structures, opening up new possibilities for multiscale analysis research and applications.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Advanced Composite Structures
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.1-11
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• 2011

The typical truss-lattice material successively packed by repeated cubic symmetric unit cells consists of sub-elements (SE) proposed in this study. The representative continuum model for this truss-lattice material such as the effective strain and stress relationship can be formulated by the homogenization procedure based on the notation of averaged mechanical properties. The volume fractions of micro-scale struts have a significant influence on the effective strength as well as the relative density in the lattice plate with replicable unit cell structures. Most of the strength contribution in the lattice material is induced by axial stiffness under uniform stretching or compression responses. Therefore, continuum based constitutive models composed of homogenized member stiffness include these mechanical characteristics with respect to strength, internal stress state, material density based on the volume fraction and even failure modes. It can be also recognized that the stress state of micro-scale struts is directly associated with the continuum constitutive model. The plastic flow at the micro-scale stress can extend the envelope of the analytical stress function on the surface of macro-scale stress derived from homogenized constitutive equations. The main focus of this study is to investigate the basic topology of unit cell structures with the cubic symmetric system and to formulate the plastic models to predict pressure dependent macro-scale stress surface functions.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.212-221
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• 2008

The total hip replacement (THR) has been used as the most effective way to restore the function of damaged hip joint. However, various factors have caused some side effects after the THR. Unfortunately, the success of the THR have been decided only by the proficiency of surgeons so far. Hence, It is necessary to find the way to minimize the side effect caused by those factors. The purpose of this study was to suggest the definite data, which can be used to design and choose the optimal hip implant. Using finite element analysis (FEA), the biomechanical condition of bone cement was evaluated. Stress patterns were analyzed in three conditions: cement mantle, procimal femur and stem-cement contact surface. Additionally, micro-motion was analyzed in the stem-cement contact surface. The 3-D femur model was reconstructed from 2-D computerized tomography (CT) images. Raw CT images were preprocessed by image processing technique (i.e. edge detection). In this study, automated edge detection system was created by MATLAB coding for effective and rapid image processing. The 3-D femur model was reconstructed based on anatomical parameters. The stem shape was designed using that parameters. The analysis of the finite element models was performed with the variation of parameters. The biomechanical influence of each parameter was analyzed and derived optimal parameters. Moreover, the results of FE A using commercial stem model (Zimmer's V erSys) were similar to the results of stem model that was used in this study. Through the study, the improved designs and optimal factors for clinical application were suggested. We expect that the results can suggest solutions to minimize various side effects.