• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.173-188
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• 2022

In modern buildings, glass is considered a structurally unsafe material due to its brittleness and unpredictable failure behavior. The possible use of structural glass elements (i.e., floors, beams and columns) is generally prevented by its poor tensile strength and a frequent occurrence of brittle failures. In this study an innovative modelling based on an equivalent thickness concept of laminated glass beam reinforced with FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer) composite material and of glass plates punched is presented. In particular, the novel numerical modelling applied to an embedding Carbon FRP-rod in the interlayer of a laminated structural glass beam is considered in order to increase both its failure strength, together with its post-failure strength and ductility. The proposed equivalent modelling of different specimens enables us to carefully evaluate the effects of this reinforcement. Both the responses of the reinforced beam and un-reinforced one are evaluated, and the corresponding results are compared and discussed. A novel equivalent modelling for reinforced glass beams using FRP composites is presented for FEM analyses in modern material components and proved estimations of the expected performance are provided. Moreover, the new suggested numerical analysis is also applied to laminated glass plates with wide holes at both ends for the technological reasons necessary to connect a glass beam to a structure. Obtained results are compared with an integer specimen. Experimental considerations are reported.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.235-249
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• 2009

The response of concrete structures subjected to shock and blast load involves a rapid transient phase, during which material breach may take place. Such an effect could play a crucial role in determining the residual state of the structure and the possible dispersion of the fragments. Modelling of the transient phase response poses various challenges due to the complexities arising from the dynamic behaviour of the materials and the numerical difficulties associated with the evolving material discontinuity and large deformations. Typical modelling approaches include the traditional finite element method in conjunction with an element removal scheme, various meshfree methods such as the SPH, and the mesoscale model. This paper is intended to provide an overview of several alternative approaches and discuss their respective applicability. Representative concrete material models for high pressure and high rate applications are also commented. Several recent application studies are introduced to illustrate the pros and cons of different modelling options.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.627-646
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• 2014

Adobe is one of the oldest construction materials that is still used in many seismic countries, and different construction techniques are found around the world. The adobe material is characterized as a brittle material; it has acceptable compression strength but it has poor performance under tensile and shear loading conditions. Numerical modelling is an alternative approach for studying the nonlinear behaviour of masonry structures such as adobe. The lack of a comprehensive experimental database on the adobe material properties motivated the study developed here. A set of a reference material parameters for the adobe were obtained from a calibration of numerical models based on a quasi-static cyclic in-plane test on full-scale adobe wall representative of the typical Peruvian adobe constructions. The numerical modelling, within the micro and macro modelling approach, lead to a good prediction of the in-plane seismic capacity and of the damage evolution in the adobe wall considered.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.81 no.4
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• pp.395-409
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• 2022

The presence of infill generally neglected in design despite the fact that infill contribution significantly increase the lateral stiffness and strength of the reinforced concrete frame structure. Several experimental studies and computational models have been proposed to capture the rational response of infill-frame interaction at global level. However, limited studies are available on explicit finite element modelling to study the local behavior due to high computation and convergence issues in numerical modelling. In the current study, the computational modelling of RC frames is done with various configurations of infill masonry in terms of types of blocks, lateral loading and reinforcement detailing employed with material nonlinearities, interface contact issues and bond-slip phenomenon particularly near the beam-column joints. To this end, extensive computational modelling of five variant characteristics test specimens extracted from the detailed experimental program available in literature and process through nonlinear static analysis in FEM code, ATENA generally used to capture the nonlinear response of reinforced concrete structures. Results are presented in terms of damage patterns and capacity curves by employing the finest possible detail provided in the experimental program. Comparative analysis shows that good correlation amongst the experimental and numerical simulated results both in terms of capacity and crack patterns.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.195-220
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• 2017

Nowadays, railway system plays a significant role in transportation, conveying cargo, passengers, minerals, grains, and so forth. Railway ballasted track is a conventional railway track as can be seen all over the world. Ballast, located underneath the sleepers, is the most important elements on ballasted track, which has many functions and requires routine maintenance. Ballast needs to be maintained frequently to prevent rail buckling, settlement, misalignment so that ballast has to be modelled accurately. Continuum model was introduced to model granular material and was extended in ballast. However, ballast is a heterogeneous material with highly nonlinear behaviour. Hence, ballast could not be modelled accurately in continuum model due to the discontinuities nature and material degradation of ballast. Discrete element modelling (DEM) is proposed as an alternative approach that provides insight into constitutive model, realistic particle, and contact algorithm between each particle. DEM has been studied in many recent decades. However, there are limitations due to the high computational time and memory consumption, which cause the lack of using in high range. This paper presents a review of recent ballast modelling with benefits and drawbacks. Ballast particles are illustrated either circular, circular crump, spherical, spherical crump, super-quadric, polygonal and polyhedral. Moreover, the gaps and limitations of previous studies are also summarized. The outcome of this study will help the understanding into different ballast modelling and particle. The insight information can be used to improve ballast modelling and monitoring for condition-based track maintenance.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.463-477
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• 2014

The modelling approach in the case of connections in precast buildings is specific. The assembly of the constitutive parts of the connection requires the inclusion of contact definitions in the model. In addition, the material non-linearity including the influence of the spatial stress distribution should be taken into account where appropriate. Here a complex model of a beam-to-column dowel connection is presented. Experiments on the analysed connection were performed within the framework of the European project SAFECAST (Performance of Innovative Mechanical Connections in Precast Building Structures under Seismic Conditions). Several material and interaction parameters were investigated and the influence of each of them was evaluated. The set of parameters which gave the best match with the experiments was chosen.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 1995.03a
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• pp.107-113
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• 1995

To investigate the behavior of platic deformation inaxisymmetric hot extrusion through square dies, the physical modelling with the plasticine as a model material is carried out at the room temperature. Some mechanical properties of the model material are determined by compression and ring compression tests. Visioplasticity method using experimetal grid distortion is introduced to anlayze the plastic flow, strain rate and strain distribution.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.541-561
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• 2011

The Finite Element Method (FEM) was employed to demonstrate that accurate simulations of seismically repaired and retrofitted reinforced concrete shear walls can be achieved provided a good analysis program with comprehensive models for material and structural behaviour is used. Furthermore, the analysis tool should have the capability to retain residual damage experienced by the original structure and carry it forward in the repaired and retrofitted structure. The focus herein is to provide quick, simple, but reliable modelling procedures for repair and retrofitting strategies such as concrete replacement, addition of diagonal reinforcing bars, bolting of external steel plates, and bonding of external steel plates and fibre reinforced polymer sheets, thus illustrating versatility in the modelling. Slender, squat, and slender-squat shear walls were investigated. The modelling utilized simple rectangular membrane elements for the concrete, truss bar elements for the steel and FRP retrofitting materials, and bond-link elements for the bonding interface between steel or FRP to concrete. The analyses satisfactorily simulated seismic behaviour, including lateral load capacity, displacement capacity, energy dissipation, hysteretic response, and failure mode.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.387-403
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• 2014

This paper presents a high accuracy Finite Element approach for delamination modelling in laminated composite structures. This approach uses multi-layered shell element and cohesive zone modelling to handle the mechanical properties and damages characteristics of a laminated composite plate under low velocity impact. Both intralaminar and interlaminar failure modes, which are usually observed in laminated composite materials under impact loading, were addressed. The detail of modelling, energy absorption mechanisms, and comparison of simulation results with experimental test data were discussed in detail. The presented approach was applied for various models and simulation time was found remarkably inexpensive. In addition, the results were found to be in good agreement with the corresponding results of experimental data. Considering simulation time and results accuracy, this approach addresses an efficient technique for delamination modelling, and it could be followed by other researchers for damage analysis of laminated composite material structures subjected to dynamic impact loading.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.291-311
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• 2006

The acceleration of consolidation by stone columns was mostly analysed within the framework of a basic unit cell model (i.e. a cylindrical soil body around a column). A method of converting the axisymmetric unit cell into the equivalent plane-strain model would be required for two-dimensional numerical modelling of multi-column field applications. This paper proposes two practical simplified conversion methods to obtain the equivalent plane-strain model of the unit cell, and investigates their applicability to multi-column reinforced ground. In the first conversion method, the soil permeability is matched according to an analytical equation, whereas in the second method, the column width is matched based on the equivalence of column area. The validity of these methods is tested by comparison with the numerical results of unit-cell simulations and with the field data from an embankment case history. The results show that for the case of linear-elastic material modelling, both methods produce reasonably accurate long-term consolidation settlements, whereas for the case of elasto-plastic material modelling, the second method is preferable as the first one gives erroneously lower long-term settlements, where plastic yielding of stone column are ignored.