• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.89-104
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• 2023

This work presents a proposal for employing reduced numerical integration in the formulation of the 4-node quadrilateral solid finite element. The use of these low-order integration rules leads to numerical instabilities such as those producing the hourglass effect. The proposed procedure allows evaluating a given constitutive model only in one integration point, achieving an attractive computational cost reduction and, also, successfully controls the hourglass effect. A validation of the proposal is included and discussed throughout the paper. To show the efficiency of the proposal, several application examples of masonry structures are studied and discussed. To represent the non-linear mechanical behaviour of masonry a plastic-damage model is implemented within the application of this sub-integration scheme. Also, in order to have a full and computationally efficient strategy to determine the behaviour of masonry structures, involving its evolution to collapse, a homogenization technique with a macro-modeling approach is used. The methodology discussed throughout this paper demonstrates a substantial computational cost reduction and an improved approximation of the non-linear problem evidenced by a reduction of up to 85% of the computational time for some cases.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.157-185
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• 2014

This paper examines the behaviour of two types of practical open beam-to-tubular column connection details subjected to combined moment, axial and/or shear loads. Detailed continuum finite element models are developed and validated against available experimental results, and extended to deal with flexural, axial and shear load interactions. A numerical investigation is then carried out on the behaviour of selected connections with different stiffness and strength characteristics under various load combination scenarios. The influence of applied levels of axial tensile or compressive loads on the bending stiffness and capacity is examined and discussed. Additionally, the interaction effects between shear forces and co-existing bending and axial loads are examined and shown to be comparatively insignificant in terms of stiffness and capacity in most cases. It is also shown that the range of connections considered in this paper can provide rotational ductility levels in excess of those required under typical design scenarios. Based on these findings, a simplified component-based representation is proposed and described, and its ability to represent the connection response under combined loading is verified using results from detailed numerical simulations.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.171-194
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• 2002

In this paper, the behaviour of axially loaded partially encased composite columns made with light welded H steel shapes is examined using ABAQUS finite element modelling. The results of the numerical simulations are compared to the response observed in previous experimental studies on that column system. The steel shape of the specimens has transverse links attached to the flanges to improve its local buckling capacity and concrete is poured between the flanges only. The test specimens included 14 stubcolumns with a square cross section ranging from 300 mm to 600 mm in depth. The transverse link spacing varied from 0.5 to 1 times the depth and the width-to-thickness ratio of the flanges ranged from 23 to 35. The numerical model accounted for nonlinear stress-strain behaviour of materials, residual stresses in the steel shape, initial local imperfections of the flanges, and allowed for large rotations in the solution. A Riks displacement controlled strategy was used to carry out the analysis. Plastic analyses on the composite models reproduced accurately the capacity of the specimens, the failure mode, the axial strain at peak load, the transverse stresses in the web, and the axial stresses in the transverse links. The influence of applying a typical construction loading sequence could also be reproduced numerically. A design equation is proposed to determine the axial capacity of this type of column.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1011-1033
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• 2015

In this article, large amplitude bending behaviour of laminated composite flat panel under combined effect of moisture, temperature and mechanical loading is investigated. The laminated composite panel model has been developed mathematically by introducing the geometrical nonlinearity in Green-Lagrange sense in the framework of higher-order shear deformation theory. The present study includes the degraded composite material properties at elevated temperature and moisture concentration. In order to achieve any general case, all the nonlinear higher order terms have been included in the present formulation and the material property variations are introduced through the micromechanical model. The nonlinear governing equation is obtained using the variational principle and discretised using finite element steps. The convergence behaviour of the present numerical model has been checked. The present proposed model has been validated by comparing the responses with those available published results. Some new numerical examples have been solved to show the effect of various parameters on the bending behaviour of laminated composite flat panel under hygro-thermo-mechanical loading.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.223-236
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• 2017

Seismic assessment and rehabilitation of Monumental Buildings constitute an important issue in many regions around the world to preserve cultural heritage. On the contrary, many recent earthquakes have demonstrated the high vulnerability of this type of structures. The high nonlinear masonry behaviour requires ad hoc refined finite element numerical models, whose complexity and computational costs are generally unsuitable for practical applications. For these reasons, several authors proposed simplified numerical strategies to be used in engineering practice. However, most of these alternative methods are oversimplified being based on the assumption of in-plane behaviour of masonry walls. Moreover, they cannot be used for modelling the monumental structures for which the interaction between plane and out-plane behaviour governs the structural response. Recently, an innovative discrete-modelling approach for the simulation of both in-plane and out of-plane response of masonry structures was proposed and applied to study several typologies of historic structures. In this paper the latter model is applied with reference to a real case study, and numerically compared with an advanced finite element modelling. The method is applied to the St.Venerio church in Reggiolo (Italy), damaged during the 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake and numerically investigated in the literature.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.11-23
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• 1989

This paper presents the results of the numerical analysis on the behaviour of mooring system of offshore guyed tower. Finite element method is used and geometric nonlinearities are considered in the analysis of mooring line. The governing equilibrium equations are derived by the principle of virtual work, and modified Newton-Raphson method and Newmark-${\beta}$ method are employed in response calculations. The drag and inertia effects of fluid are included using a Morrison type equation. The influences of changing typical parameters like initial inclination and tension of line at the guy attachment point, the length of clump weight, its unit weight and the anchor line length are examined. The effects of idealising the clump weight as a point load(lumped clump weight) on the behaviour of mooring lines are also discussed. Numerical examples demonstrate the validity and capability of the mathematical formulation.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.93-109
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• 2020

Developed from conventional concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) members, concrete-encased CFST has attracted growing attention in building and bridge practices. In actual construction, the inner CFST is erected prior to the casting of the outer reinforced concrete part to support the construction preload, after which the whole composite member is under sustained service load. The complex loading sequence leads to highly nonlinear material interaction and consequently complicated structural performance. This paper studies the full-range behaviour of concrete-encased CFST columns with initial preload on inner CFST followed by sustained service load over the whole composite section. Validated against the reported data obtained from specifically designed tests, a finite element analysis model is developed to investigate the detailed structural behaviour in terms of ultimate strength, load distribution, material interaction and strain development. Parametric analysis is then carried out to evaluate the impact of significant factors on the structural behaviour of the composite columns. Finally, a simplified design method for estimating the sectional capacity of concrete-encased CFST is proposed, with the combined influences of construction preload and sustained service load being taken into account. The feasibility of the developed method is validated against both the test data and the simulation results.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.369-382
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• 2020

This paper presents a discussion of the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) when applied for the analysis of concrete elements reinforced with glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. The purpose of such nonlinear FEA model development is to create a tool that can be used for numerical parametric studies which can be used to extend the existing (and limited) experiment database. The presented research focuses on the numerical analyses of concrete beams reinforced with GFRP longitudinal and shear reinforcements. FEA of concrete members reinforced with linear elastic brittle reinforcements (like GFRP) presents unique challenges when compared to the analysis of members reinforced with plastic (steel) reinforcements, which are discussed in the paper. Specifically, the behaviour and failure of GFRP reinforced members are strongly influenced by the compressive response of concrete and thus modelling of concrete behaviour is essential for proper analysis. FEA was performed using the commercial software ABAQUS. A damaged-plasticity model was utilized to simulate the concrete behaviour. The influence of tension, compression, dilatancy, mesh, and reinforcement modelling was studied to replicate experimental test data of beams previously tested at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Recommendations for the finite element modelling of beams reinforced with GFRP longitudinal and shear reinforcements are offered. The knowledge gained from this research allows for the development of a rational methodology for modelling GFRP reinforced concrete beams, which subsequently can be used for extensive parametric studies and the formation of informed recommendations to design standards.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.495-508
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• 2020

To investigate the structural behaviour of grouped tanks under wind loads, 2 problems need to be figured out, wind pressures on tank shells and critical loads of the shell under these pressure distribution patterns. Following the wind tunnel tests described in the companion paper, this paper firstly seeks to obtain wind loads on the external wall in a squarely-arranged cylindrical tank group by numerical simulation, considering various layouts. The outcomes demonstrate that the numerical method can provide similar results on wind pressures and better insights on grouping effects through extracted streamlines. Then, geometrically nonlinear analyses are performed using several selected potentially unfavourable wind pressure distributions. It is found that the critical load is controlled by limit point buckling when the tank is empty while excessive deformations when the tank is full. In particular, significant reductions of wind resistance are found on grouped full tanks compared to the isolated tank, considering both serviceability and ultimate limit state, which should receive special attention if the tank is expected to resist severe wind loads with the increase of liquid level.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Structure & Construction
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.139-148
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• 2019

The lightweight structures such as domes are particularly vulnerable when it has been subjected to high temperature induced by the fire. It is therefore crucial to predict the possible instability path of structures exposed to the fire in structural design process. In this study, the instabilities of single-layer domes is investigated by using finite element technologies with the consideration of high temperature. The material properties of members under high temperature are considered by using the reduction factors which is provided in Eurocodes 3. Some damage patterns are assumed with use of a structural unit which is symmetric in radial direction. For numerical evaluations, the geometrically nonlinear truss element is implemented and the arch-length control method is employed to trace the post-buckling behaviour of domes. From numerical results, it is found to be that a significant change of post-buckling behaviour is detected in dome structures when structural members are exposed to the fire.