• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.217-230
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• 2019

One of the most important design criteria in underground structure is to design lightweight protective layers to resist significant blast loads. Sandwich blast resistant panels are commonly used to protect underground structures. The front face of the sandwich panel is designed to resist the blast load and the core is designed to mitigate the blast energy from reaching the back panel. The design is to allow the sandwich panel to be repaired efficiently. Hence, the underground structure can be used under repeated blast loads. In this study, a novel sandwich panel, named RC panel - Helical springs- RC panel (RHR) sandwich panel, which consists of normal strength reinforced concrete (RC) panels at the front and the back and steel compression helical springs in the middle, is proposed. In this study, a detailed 3D nonlinear numerical analysis is proposed using the nonlinear finite element software, AUTODYN. The accuracy of the blast load and RHR Sandwich panel modelling are validated using available experimental results. The results show that the proposed finite element model can be used efficiently and effectively to simulate the nonlinear dynamic behaviour of the newly proposed RHR sandwich panels under different ranges of free air blast loads. Detailed parameter study is then conducted using the validated finite element model. The results show that the newly proposed RHR sandwich panel can be used as a reliable and effective lightweight protective layer for underground structures.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.775-789
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• 2016

This paper presents the flexural behavior & ultimate strength performance of innovative light weight sandwich panels of size $3{\times}1.2m$ with two different solidity ratios viz. 0.5 and 0.33 under out of plane bending load. From the experimental studies, it is observed that the flexural strength and the stiffness are increased by about 46% and five folds for lesser solidity ratio case. From the measured strains of the shear connectors, full shear transfer between the concrete wythes is observed. The yielding occurred approximately at 4% and 0.55% of the ultimate deformation for 100 mm & 150 mm thick panels, which shows the large ductility characteristics of the panels. From the study, it is inferred that the light weight sandwich panels behave structurally in a very similar manner to reinforced concrete panels. Further from the numerical study, it is observed that the numerical values obtained by FE analysis are in good agreement with the experimental observations.

• International journal of steel structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1666-1683
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• 2018

To explore seismic behavior of blind bolted concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) frames infilled with precast sandwich composite wall panels (SCWPs), a series tests of blind bolted square CFST frames with precast SCWPs under lateral low-cyclic loading were conducted. The influence of the type of wall concrete, wall-to-frame connection and steel brace setting, etc. on the hysteretic curves and failure modes of the type of composite structure was investigated. The seismic behavior of the blind bolted CFST frames with precast SCWPs was evaluated in terms of lateral load-displacement relation curves, strength and stiffness degradation, crack patterns of SCWPs, energy dissipation capacity and ductility. Then, a finite element (FE) analysis modeling using ABAQUS software was developed in considering the nonlinear material properties and complex components interaction. Comparison indicated that the FE analytical results coincided well with the test results. Both the experimental and numerical results indicated that setting the external precast SCWPs could heighten the load carrying capacities and rigidities of the blind bolted CFST frames by using reasonable connectors between frame and SCWPs. These experimental studies and FE analysis would enable improvement in the practical design of the SCWPs in fabricated CFST structure buildings.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Structure & Construction
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.79-87
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to analyze factors influencing insulation performance of inorganic Autoclaved Lightweight Concrete(ALC) sandwich wall panels with the application of shear connectors. To analyze the effect of shear connectors on the thermal performance of sandwich wall panels, heat transfer analysis was conducted by using the three-dimensional heat transfer simulation software. Four types of shear connector such as Pin, Clip, Grid, and Truss were selected for insulation performance analysis. Thermal bridge coefficient was calculated by varying typical panel thickness and shear connector thickness and materials such as steel, aluminum, and stainless steel. The results showed that Grid and Truss type widely distributed along the section of sandwich wall panel had a great influence on the thermal bridge coefficient by changing the influence factors. Based on the results of thermal and structural performance analysis, effective heat transmission coefficient of the sandwich wall panel satisfying the passive house insulation criteria was calculated. As a result, it was found that heat transmission coefficient was increased from $0.132W/m^2{\cdot}K$ to $0.141{\sim}0.306W/m^2{\cdot}K$ depending on the shear connector types and materials. In the majority of cases, the passive house insulation criteria was not satisfied after using shear connectors. The results of this study were likely to vary according to how influence factors were set, but it is important to apply the methods that reduce the thermal bridge when there would be a possibility of greatly affecting the insulation performance.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.951-972
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• 2015

The focus of the present study is to investigate both local and global behaviour of a precast concrete sandwich panel. The selected prototype consists of two reinforced concrete layers coupled by a system of cold-drawn steel profiles and one intermediate layer of insulating material. High-definition nonlinear finite element (FE) models, based on 3D brick and 2D interface elements, are used to assess the capacity of this technology under shear, tension and compression. Geometrical nonlinearities are accounted via large displacement-large strain formulation, whilst material nonlinearities are included, in the series of simulations, by means of Von Mises yielding criterion for steel elements and a classical total strain crack model for concrete; a bond-slip constitutive law is additionally adopted to reproduce steel profile-concrete layer interaction. First, constitutive models are calibrated on the basis of preliminary pull and pull-out tests for steel and concrete, respectively. Geometrically and materially nonlinear FE simulations are performed, in compliance with experimental tests, to validate the proposed modeling approach and characterize shear, compressive and tensile response of this system, in terms of global capacity curves and local stress/strain distributions. Based on these experimental and numerical data, the structural performance is then quantified under various loading conditions, aimed to reproduce the behaviour of this solution during production, transport, construction and service conditions.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2022

Prefabricated exterior wall panel is the main non-load-bearing component of assembly building, which affects the comprehensive performance of thermal insulation and durability of the building. It is of great significance to develop new prefabricated exterior wall panel with durable and lightweight characteristics for the development of energy-saving and assembly building. In the prefabricated sandwich insulation hanging wall panel, the selection of material for the outer layer and the arrangement of the connector of the inner and outer wall layers affect the mechanical performance and durability of the wall panels. In this paper, high performance cement-based composites (HPFRC) are used in the outer layer of the new type wall panel. FRP bars are used as the interface connector. Through experiments and analysis, the influence of the arrangement of connectors on the mechanical behaviors of thin-walled composite wall panel and the panel with window openings under two working conditions are investigated. The failure modes and the role of connectors of thin-walled composite wallboard are analyzed. The influence of the thickness of the wall layer and their combination on the strain growth of the control section, the initial crack resistance, the ultimate bearing capacity and the deformation of the wall panels are analyzed. The research work provides a technical reference for the engineering design of the light-weight thin-walled and durable composite sandwich wall panel.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.277-288
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• 2022

A novel flat steel plate-concrete-corrugated steel plate (FS-C-CS) sandwich panel was proposed for resisting impact load. The failure mode, impact force and displacement response of the FS-C-CS panel under impact loading were studied via drop-weight impact tests. The combined global flexure and local indentation deformation mode of the FS-C-CS panel was observed, and three stages of impact process were identified. Moreover, the effects of corrugated plate height and steel plate thickness on the impact responses of the FS-C-CS panels were quantitatively analysed, and the impact resistant performance of the FS-C-CS panel was found to be generally improved on increasing corrugated plate height and thickness in terms of smaller deformation as well as larger impact force and post-peak mean force. The Finite Element (FE) model of the FS-C-CS panel under impact loading was established to predict its dynamic response and further reveal its failure mode and impact energy dissipation mechanism. The numerical results indicated that the concrete core and corrugated steel plate dissipated the majority of impact energy. In addition, employing end plates and high strength bolts as shear connectors could prevent the slip between steel plates and concrete core and assure the full composite action of the FS-C-CS panel.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.333-340
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• 2019

Tests using a middle velocity propulsion impact machine (MVPIM) were performed to verify the impact resistance capability of sandwich concrete panels (SCP) in a modular liquefied natural gas (LNG) outer tank, and numerical models were constructed and analyzed. $2{\times}2m$ specimens with plain sectional characteristics and specimens including a joint section were used. A 51 kg missile was accelerated above 45 m/s and impacted to have the design code kinetic energy. Impact tests were performed twice according to the design code and once for the doubled impact speed. The numerical models for simulating impact behaviors were created by LS-DYNA. The external steel plate and filled concrete of the panel were modeled as solid elements, the studs as beam elements, and the steel plates as elasto-plastic material with fractures; the CSCM material model was used for concrete. The front plate deformations demonstrated good agreement with those of other tests. However the rear plate deformations were less. In the doubled speed test for the plain section specimen, the missile punctured both plates; however, the front plate was only fractured in the numerical analysis. The impact energy of the missile was transferred to the filled concrete in the numerical analysis.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.326-342
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• 2022

Comparative analyses of a shield building subjected to a large commercial aircraft impact between decoupling method and coupling method are performed in this paper. The decoupling method is applying impact force time-history curves on impact area of the shield building to study impact damage effects on structure. The coupling method is using a model including aircraft and shield building to perform simulation of the entire impact process. Impact force time-history curves of the fuselage, wing and engine and their total impact force time-history curve are obtained by the entire aircraft normally impacting the rigid wall. Taking aircraft structure and impact progress into account some loading areas are determined to perform some comparative analyses between decoupling method and coupling method, the calculation results including displacement, plastic strain of concrete and stress of steel plate in impact area are given. If the loading area is determined unreasonably, it will be difficult to assess impact damage of impact area even though the accurate impact force of each part of aircraft obtained already. The coupling method presented at last in this paper can more reasonably evaluate the dynamic response of the shield building than the decoupling methods used in the current nuclear engineering design.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.461-481
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• 2016

The research described in this paper investigates the seismic behaviour of lightly reinforced concrete (RC) bearing sandwich panels, heavily conditioned by shear deformation. A numerical model has been prepared, within an open source finite element (FE) platform, to simulate the experimental response of this emerging structural system, whose squat-type geometry affects performance and failure mode. Calibration of this equivalent mechanical model, consisting of a group of regularly spaced vertical elements in combination with a layer of nonlinear springs, which represent the cyclic behaviour of concrete and steel, has been conducted by means of a series of pseudo-static cyclic tests performed on single full-scale prototypes with or without openings. Both cantilevered and fixed-end shear walls have been analyzed. After validation, this numerical procedure, including cyclic-related mechanisms, such as buckling and subsequent slippage of reinforcing re-bars, as well as concrete crushing at the base of the wall, has been used to assess the capacity of two- and three-dimensional low- to mid-rise box-type buildings and, hence, to estimate their strength reduction factors, on the basis of conventional pushover analyses.