• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.67 no.5
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• pp.465-479
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• 2018

In a previous study, design charts where proposed to help the torsional design of axially restricted reinforced concrete (RC) beams with squared cross section. In this article, new design charts are proposed to cover RC beams with rectangular cross section. The influence of the height to width ratio of the cross section on the behavior of RC beams under torsion is firstly shown by using theoretical and experimental results. Next, the effective torsional strength of a reference RC beam is computed for several values and combinations of the study variables, namely: height to width ratio of the cross section, concrete compressive strength, torsional reinforcement ratio and level of the axial restraint. To compute the torsional strength, the modified Variable Angle Truss Model for axially restricted RC beams is used. Then, an extensive parametric analysis based on multivariable and nonlinear correlation analysis is performed to obtain nonlinear regression equations which allow to build the new design charts. These charts allow to correct the torsional strength in order to consider the favourable influence of the compressive axial stress that arises from the axial restraint.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2011

In this study, steady and unsteady aerodynamic analyses of a huge rocket configuration have been conducted in a transonic flow region. The launch vehicle structural response are coupled with the transonic flow state transitions at the nose of the payload fairing. Before performing the coupled fluid-structure transonic aeroealstic simulations transonic aerodynamic characteristics are investigated for the pitching motions of the rocket at finite angle-of-attack. An unsteady CFD analysis method with a moving grid technique based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with the k-w SST transition turbulence model is applied to accurately predict the transonic loads of the rocket at pitching motion. It is shown that the fluctuating amplitude of the lateral aerodynamic loads imposed on the rocket due to the pitching motion can be significantly increased in the transonic flow region.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.191-203
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• 2010

To investigate the critical buckling load and post-buckling behavior of an axially loaded pile entirely embedded in soil, the non-linear large deflection differential equation for a pinned pile, based on the Winkler-model and the discretionary distribution function of the foundation coefficient along pile shaft, was established by energy method. Assuming that the deflection function was a power series of some perturbation parameter according to the boundary condition and load in the pile, the non-linear large deflection differential equation was transformed to a series of linear differential equations by using perturbation approach. By taking the perturbation parameter at middle deflection, the higher-order asymptotic solution of load-deflection was then found. Effect of ratios of soil depth to pile length, and ratios of pile stiffness to soil stiffness on the critical buckling load and performance of piles (entirely embedded and partially embedded) after flexural buckling were analyzed. Results show that the buckling load capacity increases as the ratios of pile stiffness to soil stiffness increasing. The pile performance will be more stable when ratios of soil depth to pile length, and soil stiffness to pile stiffness decrease.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.68 no.2
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• pp.171-182
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• 2018

For the first time, nonlocal damped vibration and buckling analyses of arbitrary tapered bidirectional functionally graded solid circular nano-plate (BDFGSCNP) are presented by employing modified spectral Ritz method. The energy method based on Love-Kirchhoff plate theory assumptions is applied to derive neutral equilibrium equation. The Eringen's nonlocal continuum theory is taken into account to capture small-scale effects. The characteristic equations and corresponding first mode shapes are calculated by using a novel modified basis in spectral Ritz method. The modified basis is in terms of orthogonal shifted Chebyshev polynomials of the first kind to avoid employing adhesive functions in the spectral Ritz method. The fast convergence and compatibility with various conditions are advantages of the modified spectral Ritz method. A more accurate multivariable function is used to model two-directional variations of elasticity modulus and mass density. The effects of nanoscale, in-plane pre-load, distributed dashpot, arbitrary tapering, pinned and clamped boundary conditions on natural frequencies and buckling loads are investigated. Observing an excellent agreement between results of current work and outcomes of previously published works in literature, indicates the results' accuracy in current work.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.697-716
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• 2009

This paper summarizes an experimental and analytical study on the seismic behavior of high strength reinforced concrete columns under cyclic loading. In total six cantilever columns with different sizes and concrete compressive strengths were tested. Three columns, small size, had a $325{\times}325$ mm cross section and the three other columns, medium size, were $520{\times}520$ mm. Concrete compressive strength was 80, 130 and 180 MPa. All specimens were designed in accordance with the Japanese design guidelines. The tests demonstrated that, for specimens made of 180 MPa concrete compressive strength, spalling of cover concrete was very brittle followed by a significant decrease in strength. Curvature was much important for the small size than for the medium size columns. Concrete compressive strength had no effect on the curvature distribution for a drift varying between -2% and +2%. However, it had an effect on the drift corresponding to the peak moment and on the equivalent viscous damping variation. Simple equations are proposed for 1) evaluating the concrete Young's modulus for high strength concrete and for 2) evaluating the moment-drift envelope curves for the medium size columns knowing that of the small size columns. Experimental moment-drift and axial strain-drift histories were well predicted using a fiber model developed by the authors.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.625-638
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• 2009

Applications of membrane mechanisms are widely found in nano-devices and nano-sensor technologies nowadays. An alternative approach for large deflection analysis of the orthotropic, elliptic membranes - subject to gravitational, uniform pressures often found in nano-sensors - is described in this paper. The material properties of membranes are assumed to be orthogonally isotropic and linearly elastic, while the principal directions of elasticity are parallel to the coordinate axes. Formulating the potential energy functional of the orthotropic, elliptic membranes involves the strain energy that is attributed to inplane stress resultant and the potential energy due to applied pressures. In the solution method, Rayleigh-Ritz method can be used successfully to minimize the resulting total potential energy generated. The set of equilibrium equations was solved subsequently by Newton-Raphson. The unparalleled model formulation capable of analyzing the large deflections of both circular and elliptic membranes is verified by making numerical comparisons with existing results of circular membranes as well as finite element solutions. The results are found in excellent agreements at all cases. Then, the parametric investigations are given to delineate the impacts of the aspect ratios and orthotropic elasticity on large static tensions and deformations of the orthotropic, elliptic membranes.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.67-84
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• 2008

The present contribution is concerned with the static and dynamic stability of a piezo-laminated Bernoulli-Euler beam subjected to an axial compressive force. Recently, an inconsistent derivation of the equations of motions of such a smart structural system has been presented in the literature, where it has been claimed, that an axial piezoelectric actuation can be used to control its stability. The main scope of the present paper is to show that this unfortunately is impossible. We present a consistent theory for composite beams in plane bending. Using an exact description of the kinematics of the beam axis, together with the Bernoulli-Euler assumptions, we obtain a single-layer theory capable of taking into account the effects of piezoelectric actuation and buckling. The assumption of an inextensible beam axis, which is frequently used in the literature, is discussed afterwards. We show that the cited inconsistent beam model is due to inadmissible mixing of the assumptions of an inextensible beam axis and a vanishing axial displacement, leading to the erroneous result that the stability might be enhanced by an axial piezoelectric actuation. Our analytical formulations for simply supported Bernoulli-Euler type beams are verified by means of three-dimensional finite element computations performed with ABAQUS.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.111-126
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• 2007

Dynamic responses of the bridge for a straddle-type monorail subjected to the ground motion of high probability to occur are investigated by means of a three-dimensional traffic-induced vibration analysis to clarify the effect of a train's dynamic system on seismic responses of a monorail bridge. A 15DOFs model is assumed for a car in the monorail train. The validity of developed equations of motion for a monorail train-bridge interaction system is verified by comparison with the field-test data. The inertia effect due to a ground motion is combined with the monorail train-bridge interaction system to investigate the seismic response of the monorail bridge under a moving train. An interesting result is that the dynamic system of the train on monorail bridges can act as a damper during earthquakes. The observation of numerical results also points out that the damper effect due to the dynamic system of the monorail train tends to decrease with increasing speed of the train.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.551-565
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• 2017

Based on the strain gradient theory (SGT), vibration analysis of an embedded micro cylindrical shell reinforced with agglomerated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is investigated. The elastic medium is simulated by the orthotropic Pasternak foundation. The structure is subjected to magnetic field in the axial direction. For obtaining the equivalent material properties of structure and considering agglomeration effects, the Mori-Tanaka model is applied. The motion equations are derived on the basis of Mindlin cylindrical shell theory, energy method and Hamilton's principal. Differential quadrature method (DQM) is proposed to evaluate the frequency of system for different boundary conditions. The effects of different parameters such as CNTs volume percent, agglomeration of CNTs, elastic medium, magnetic field, boundary conditions, length to radius ratio and small scale parameter are shown on the frequency of the structure. The results indicate that the effect of CNTs agglomeration plays an important role in the frequency of system so that considering agglomeration leads to lower frequency. Furthermore, the frequency of structure increases with enhancing the small scale parameter.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.66 no.6
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• pp.771-781
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• 2018

This study deals with free vibrations analysis with stretching effect of nanocomposite beams reinforced by single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) resting on an elastic foundation. Four different carbon nanotubes (CNTs) distributions including uniform and three types of functionally graded distributions of CNTs through the thickness are considered. The rule of mixture is used to describe the effective material properties of the nanocomposite beams. The significant feature of this model is that, in addition to including the shear deformation effect and stretching effect it deals with only 4 unknowns without including a shear correction factor. The governing equations are derived through using Hamilton's principle. Natural frequencies are obtained for nanocomposite beams. The mathematical models provided in this paper are numerically validated by comparison with some available results. New results of free vibration analyses of CNTRC beams based on the present theory with stretching effect is presented and discussed in details. The effects of different parameters of the beam on the vibration responses of CNTRC beam are discussed.