• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1995.10a
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• pp.153-160
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• 1995

Mixed finite element formulations for incompressible materials show pressure oscillations or pressure modes in four-node quadrilateral elements. The criterion for the stability in the pressure solution is the so-called Babufka-Brezzi stability condition, and the four-node elements based on mixed variational principles do not appear to satisfy this condition. In this study, a pressure continuity residual based on the pressure discontinuity at element edges is used to study the stabilization of pressure solutions in bilinear displacement-constant pressure four-node quadrilateral elements. It is shown that the pressure solutions, although stable, exhibit sensitivity to the stabilization parameters.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.49-61
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• 2007

This paper presents a modified and improved bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method for topology optimization. A sensitivity filter which has been used in other optimization methods is introduced into BESO so that the design solutions become mesh-independent. To improve the convergence of the optimization process, the sensitivity number considers its historical information. Numerical examples show the effectiveness of the modified BESO method in obtaining convergent and mesh-independent solutions. A study of the effects of various BESO parameters on the solution is then conducted to determine the appropriate values for these parameters.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.17-37
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• 2022

This paper discusses an improved unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, configuration characterized by telescopic booms to optimize the flight mechanics and fuel consumption of the aircraft at various loading/flight conditions.The starting point consists of a full-composite smaller UAV which was derived by a general aviation ultralight motorized aircraft ULM. The present design, named ToBoFlex, extends the two-booms configuration to a three tons aircraft. To adapt the design to needs relevant to different applications, new solutions were proposed in aerodynamic fields and materials and structural areas. Different structural solutions were reported. To optimize aircraft endurance, the innovative concept of Telescopic Tail Boom was considered along with two different tails architecture. A new structural configuration of the fuselage was proposed. Further consideration of hydrogen fuel cell electric propulsion is now being studied in collaboration between the Polytechnic of Turin and Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University which could be the starting point of future investigations.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1994.10a
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• pp.9-16
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• 1994

In the discrete optimum design, occasionally, the solutions oscillate between the feasible and the infeasible resions during the series of redesigns of members with discrete sections. This phenomenon may be caused inherently by the discontinuity of variables of commercially available sections in the database. In this paper, in-depth investigation into the oscillation in the discrete optimization and its control has been conducted. When the structure is optimized through element optimization, the oscillation can be divided into two categories, local and global oscillations. An algorithm which controls these phenomena is suggested and numerical examples demonstrate the oscillation in optimum solutions and the effectiveness of the control strategy suggested here.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.110-117
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• 2004

The aim of a benchmark study is carried out nine methods are employed for ULS analysis which implicitly predict the ultimate strength of aluminium stiffened panels under axial compression. For this purpose, DNV PULS, experimental and numerical data on the ultimate strength of panels were collected. Comparison of these experimental / numerical, DNV PULS / numerical, results with theoretical solutions by the candidate methods is performed. Also it's compared that ALPS/ULSAP program is based on closed-form formula for the ULS of plates and grillages under axial compression. It is considered that ALPS/ULSAP methodology provides quite accurate and reasonable ULS calculations by a comparison with more refined FEA. Comparison of these experimental data, numerical, computational software results with the simplified solutions obtained by the candidate methods is then performed. The model uncertainties associated with the candidate methods are studied in terms of mean bias and COV (i.e., coefficient of variation) against experiments and numerical solutions, and the relative performance of the various methods is discussed.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.955-962
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• 2006

This paper has the objects of deciding dynamic instability regions of thick plates on Pasternak foundation by finite element method and providing kinematic design data for mats and slabs of building structures. In this paper, dynamic stability analysis of tapered opening thick plate is done by use of Serendipity finite element with 8 nodes considering shearing strain of plate. To verify this finite element method, buckling stress and natural frequencies of thick pate with or without in-plane stress are compared with existing solutions. The results are as follow that this finite element solutions with 4x4 meshes are shown the error of maximum 0.56% about existing solutions, and obtained dynamic instability graph according with variation of opening positions.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.258-265
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• 1998

Application of the flat shell element with drilling D.O.F to linear buckling analysis of thin-walled structures is presented in this paper. The shell element has been developed basically by combining a membrane element with drilling D.O.F. and Mindlin plate bending element. Thus, the shell element possesses six degrees-of-freedom per node which, in addition to improvement of the element behavior, permits an easy connection to other six degrees-of-freedom per node elements(CLS, Choi and Lee, 1995). Accordingly, structures like folded plate and stiffened shell structure, for which it is hard to find the analytical solutions, can be analyzed using these developed flat shell elements. In this paper, linear buckling analysis of thin-walled structures like folded plate structures using the shell elements(CLS) with drilling D.O.F. to be formulated and then fulfilled. Subsequently, buckling modes and the critical loads can be output. Finally. finite element solutions for linear buckling analysis of folded plate structures are compared with available analytic solutions and other researcher's results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.1
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• pp.129-141
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• 2022

It has previously been proposed that the yield-line method of analysis for reinforced concrete slabs could be automated via the use of rigid finite elements, assuming all deformations occur along element edges. However, the solutions obtained using this approach can be observed to be highly sensitive to mesh topology. To address this, a revised formulation that incorporates modified yield criteria to account for the presence of non-zero shear forces at interfaces between elements is proposed. The resulting formulation remains simple, with linear programming (LP) still used to obtain solutions for problems involving Johansen's square yield criteria. The results obtained are shown to agree well with literature solutions for various slab problems involving uniform loading and a range of geometries and boundary conditions.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.583-612
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• 1998

A unified third-order laminate plate theory that contains classical, first-order and third-order theories as special cases is presented. Analytical solutions using the Navier and L$\acute{e}$vy solution procedures are presented. The Navier solutions are limited to simply supported rectangular plates while the L$\acute{e}$vy solutions are restricted to rectangular plates with two parallel edges simply supported and other two edges having arbitrary combination of simply supported, clamped, and free boundary conditions. Numerical results of bending and vibration for a number of problems are discussed in the second part of the paper.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.121-148
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• 2011

Closed form solutions for equilibrium and flexibility matrices of the Mindlin-Reissner theory based eight-node rectangular plate bending element (MRP8) using Integrated Force Method (IFM) are presented in this paper. Though these closed form solutions of equilibrium and flexibility matrices are applicable to plate bending problems with square/rectangular boundaries, they reduce the computational time significantly and give more exact solutions. Presented closed form solutions are validated by solving large number of standard square/rectangular plate bending benchmark problems for deflections and moments and the results are compared with those of similar displacement-based eight-node quadrilateral plate bending elements available in the literature. The results are also compared with the exact solutions.