• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.363-376
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• 2001

Sandwich plates are widely used in lightweight design due to their high strength and stiffness to weight ratio. Due to the heterogeneous structure of sandwich plates, they can exhibit local instabilities (wrinkling), which lead to a sudden loss of stiffness in the structure. This paper presents an analytical solution to the wrinkling problem of sandwich plates. The solution is based on the Rayleigh-Ritz method, by assuming an appropriate deformation field. In contrast to the other approaches up to now, this model takes arbitrary and different orthotropic face layers, finite core thickness and orthotropic core material into account. This approach is the first to cover the wrinkling of unsymmetric sandwiches and sandwiches composed of orthotropic FRP face layers, which are most common in advanced lightweight design. Despite the generality of the solution, the computational effort is kept within bounds. The results have been verified using other analytical solutions and unit cell 3D FE calculations.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.453-469
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• 2004

In this article, a genetic algorithm based optimum design method is presented for non-linear steel frames with semi-rigid connections. The design algorithm obtains the minimum weight frame by selecting suitable sections from a standard set of steel sections such as European wide flange beams (i.e., HE sections). A genetic algorithm is employed as optimization method which utilizes reproduction, crossover and mutation operators. Displacement and stress constraints of Turkish Building Code for Steel Structures (TS 648, 1980) are imposed on the frame. The algorithm requires a large number of non-linear analyses of frames. The analyses cover both the non-linear behaviour of beam-to-column connection and $P-{\Delta}$ effects of beam-column members. The Frye and Morris polynomial model is used for modelling of semi-rigid connections. Two design examples with various type of connections are presented to demonstrate the application of the algorithm. The semi-rigid connection modelling results in more economical solutions than rigid connection modelling, but it increases frame drift.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.113-126
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• 2015

Holed-Incrementally Prestressed Concrete (H-IPC) girders are designed using the following new design concepts. At first, web openings reduce the self-weight of the girder, and also diffuse prestressing tendon anchorages. The reduced end anchoring forces decrease the web thickness of the end sections. Additionally, precast technology help to improve the quality of concrete and to reduce the construction period at the site. For experimentally verification, two 50 m full-scale H-IPC girders are manufactured with different concrete strength of 55 MPa and 80 MPa. The safety, stiffness, ductility, serviceability and crack development of H-IPC girder are measured and compared with each other for different strengths. Both girders show enough strength to carry live load and good stiffness to satisfy the design criteria. The experimental result shows the advantages of using high strength concrete and adopting precast girder. The test data can be used as a criterion for safety control and maintenance of the H-IPC girder.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.6 no.7
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• pp.867-887
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• 2010

An energy-based variational approach is used for structural dynamic modeling of the IPMC (Ionic Polymer Metal Composites) flapping wing. Dynamic characteristics of the wing are analyzed using numerical simulations. Starting with the initial design, critical parameters which have influence on the performance of the wing are identified through parametric studies. An optimization study is performed to obtain improved flapping actuation of the IPMC wing. It is shown that the optimization algorithm leads to a flapping wing with dimensions similar to the dragonfly Aeshna Multicolor wing. An unsteady aerodynamic model based on modified strip theory is used to obtain the aerodynamic forces. It is found that the IPMC wing generates sufficient lift to support its own weight and carry a small payload. It is therefore a potential candidate for flapping wing of micro air vehicles.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.321-335
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• 2009

When a roof frame is subjected to the airblast loading, the conventional way to analyze the damage of the frame or design the frame is to use single degree of freedom (SDOF) model. Although a roof frame consists of beams and girders, a typical SDOF analysis can be conducted only separately for each component. Thus, the rigid body motion of beams by deflections of supporting girders can not be easily considered. Neglecting the beam-girder interaction in the SDOF analysis may cause serious inaccuracies in the response values in both Pressure-Impulse curve (P-I) and Charge Weight-Standoff Diagrams (CWSD). In this paper, an inelastic two degrees of freedom (TDOF) model is developed, based on force equilibrium equations, to consider beam-girder interaction, and to assess if the modified SDOF analysis can be a reasonable design approach.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.59-78
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• 2009

Reliability analysis for a proposed limit state bridge design code is performed. In order to introduce reliability concept to design code, the proposed live load model is based on truck weight survey. Test data of domestic material strengths are collected to model statistical properties of member strengths. Sample RC and PSC girder sections are designed following the safety factor format of the proposed code and compared with the current design practice. Reliability indexes are calculated and examined for material and member resistance factor formats and sample calibrations of safety factors are presented. It is concluded that the proposed code provides reasonable level of reliability compared to the international design standards.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.391-410
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• 2008

In this article, a harmony search algorithm is presented for optimum design of steel frame structures. Harmony search is a meta-heuristic search method which has been developed recently. It is based on the analogy between the performance process of natural music and searching for solutions of optimization problems. The design algorithms obtain minimum weight frames by selecting suitable sections from a standard set of steel sections such as American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) wide-flange (W) shapes. Stress constraints of AISC Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) and AISC Allowable Stress Design (ASD) specifications, maximum (lateral displacement) and interstorey drift constraints, and also size constraint for columns were imposed on frames. The results of harmony search algorithm were compared to those of the other optimization algorithms such as genetic algorithm, optimality criterion and simulated annealing for two planar and two space frame structures taken from the literature. The comparisons showed that the harmony search algorithm yielded lighter designs for the design examples presented.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.607-615
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• 2017

This study presents optimum design of plane steel bridges considering corrosion effect by using teaching-learning based optimization (TLBO) method. Optimum solutions of three different bridge problems are linearly carried out including and excluding corrosion effect. The member cross sections are selected from a pre-specified list of 128 W profiles taken from American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). A computer program is coded in MATLAB to carry out optimum design interacting with SAP2000 using OAPI (Open Application Programming Interface). The stress constraints are incorporated as indicated in AISC Allowable Stress Design (ASD) specifications and also displacement constraints are applied in optimum design. The results obtained from analysis show that the corrosion effect on steel profile surfaces causes a crucial increase on the minimum steel weight of bridges. Moreover, the results show that the method proposed is applicable and robust to reach the destination even for complex problems.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.75 no.6
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• pp.723-736
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• 2020

In this paper, acoustic emission (AE) and pattern recognition are utilized to identify the AE signal signatures caused by propagation of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in a 304 stainless steel plate. The surface of the plate is under almost uniform tensile stress at a notch. A corrosive environment is provided by exposing the notch to a solution of 1% Potassium Tetrathionate by weight. The Global b-value indicated an occurrence of the first visible crack and damage stages during the SCC. Furthermore, a method based on linear regression has been developed for damage identification using AE data.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.570-577
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• 2008

Magnesium alloys are potentially useful as structural materials due to higher strength/weight ratio, heat conductivity and recyclability compared to other alloys. These alloys have attracted the interest of modern manufacturing such as the automobile, computer, communication and consumer electronic appliances industries. Hence welding techniques are required to be developed for these applications. Laser are known to be an excellent tool for them. This paper presents the laser weldability of AZ31 magnesium alloy with CW Nd:YAG laser. The low viscosity and surface tension of the melt pool make magnesium more difficult to weld than steel. As a result of this study, optimal process parameters could be obtained without weld defects. Also it was certain that cutting methods had influence on butt weldability.