• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.1
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• pp.33-46
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• 2024

The present research delves into the analysis of nonlinear free and forced vibrations of porous functionally graded (FG) shallow shells reinforced with oblique stiffeners, which are embedded in a nonlinear elastic foundation (NEF) subjected to external excitation. Two distinct types of PFG shallow shells, characterized by even and uneven porosity distribution along the thickness direction, are considered in the research. In order to model the stiffeners, Lekhnitskii's smeared stiffeners technique is implemented. With the stress function and first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT), the nonlinear model of the oblique stiffened shallow shells is established. The strain-displacement relationships for the system are derived via the FSDT and utilization of the von-Kármán's geometric assumptions. To discretize the nonlinear governing equations, the Galerkin method is employed. The model such developed allows analysis of the effects of the stiffeners with various angles as desired, in addition to the quantitative investigation on the influence of the surrounding nonlinear elastic foundations. To numerically solve the problem of vibrations, the 4th-order P-T method is used, as this method, known for its enhanced accuracy and reliability, proves to be an effective choice. The validation of the present research findings includes a comprehensive comparison with outcomes documented in existing literature. Additionally, a comparative analysis of the numerical results against those obtained using the 4th Runge-Kutta method is performed. The impact of stiffeners with varying angles and material parameters on the vibration characteristics of the present system is also explored. The researchers and engineers working in this field may use the results of this study as benchmarks in their design and research for the considered shell systems.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.441-456
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• 2024

This paper aims to develop Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to predict the buckling resistance of cold-formed steel (CFS) channels with restrained flanges, widely used in typical CFS sheathed wall panels, and provide practical design tools for engineers. The effects of cross-sectional restraints were first evaluated on the elastic buckling behaviour of CFS channels subjected to pure axial compressive load or bending moment. Feedforward multi-layer Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) were then trained on different datasets comprising CFS channels with various dimensions and properties, plate thicknesses, and restraining conditions on one or two flanges, while the elastic distortional buckling resistance of the elements were determined according to the Finite Strip Method (FSM). To develop less biased networks and ensure that every observation from the original dataset has the chance of appearing in the training and test set, a K-fold cross-validation technique was implemented. In addition, the hyperparameters of the ANNs were tuned using a grid search technique to provide ANNs with optimum performances. The results demonstrated that the trained ANNs were able to predict the elastic distortional buckling resistance of CFS flange-restrained elements with an average accuracy of 99% in terms of coefficient of determination. The developed models were then used to propose a simple ANN-based design formula for the prediction of the elastic distortional buckling stress of CFS flange-restrained elements. Finally, the proposed formula was further evaluated on a separate set of unseen data to ensure its accuracy for practical applications.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.243-260
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• 2024

Thirteen self-compacting recycled concrete filled aluminium tubular (SCRCFAT) columns were tested under concentric compression loads. The effects of the replacement ratio of the recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) and steel fibre (SF) reinforcement on the structural performance of the SCRCFAT columns were studied. A control specimen (C000) was cast with normal concrete without SF to be reference for comparison. Twelve columns were cast using RCA, six columns were cast using concrete incorporating 2% SF while the rest of columns were cast without SF. Failure mode, ductility, ultimate load capacity, axial deformation, ultimate strains, stress-strain response, and stiffness of the SCRCFAT columns were studied. The results showed that, the peak load of tested SCRCFAT columns incorporating 5-100 % RCA without SF reduced by 2.33-11.28 % compared to that of C000. Conversely, the peak load of tested SCRCFAT columns incorporating 5-100% RCA in addition to 2% SF increased by 21.1-40.25%, compared to C000. Consequently, the ultimate axial deformation (Δ) of column C100 (RCA=100% and SF 0%) increased by about 118.9 % compared to C000. The addition of 2% SF to the concrete mix decreased the axial deformation of SCRCFAT columns compared to those cast with 0% SF. Moreover, the stiffness of the columns cast without SF decreased as the RCA % increased. In contrast, the columns stiffness cast with 2% SF increased by 26.28-89.7 % over that of C000. Finally, a theoretical model was proposed to predict the ultimate loads tested SCRCFAT columns and the obtained theoretical results agreed well with the experimental results.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.259-276
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• 2024

The undrained shear strength is widely acknowledged as a fundamental mechanical property of soil and is considered a critical engineering parameter. In recent years, researchers have employed various methodologies to evaluate the shear strength of soil under undrained conditions. These methods encompass both numerical analyses and empirical techniques, such as the cone penetration test (CPT), to gain insights into the properties and behavior of soil. However, several of these methods rely on correlation assumptions, which can lead to inconsistent accuracy and precision. The study involved the development of innovative methods using extreme gradient boosting (XGB) to predict the pile set-up component "A" based on two distinct data sets. The first data set includes average modified cone point bearing capacity (q_t), average wall friction (f_s), and effective vertical stress (σ_vo), while the second data set comprises plasticity index (PI), soil undrained shear cohesion (S_u), and the over consolidation ratio (OCR). These data sets were utilized to develop XGBoost-based methods for predicting the pile set-up component "A". To optimize the internal hyperparameters of the XGBoost model, four optimization algorithms were employed: Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Social Spider Optimization (SSO), Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (AOA), and Sine Cosine Optimization Algorithm (SCOA). The results from the first data set indicate that the XGBoost model optimized using the Arithmetic Optimization Algorithm (XGB - AOA) achieved the highest accuracy, with R2 values of 0.9962 for the training part and 0.9807 for the testing part. The performance of the developed models was further evaluated using the RMSE, MAE, and VAF indices. The results revealed that the XGBoost model optimized using XGBoost - AOA outperformed other models in terms of accuracy, with RMSE, MAE, and VAF values of 0.0078, 0.0015, and 99.6189 for the training part and 0.0141, 0.0112, and 98.0394 for the testing part, respectively. These findings suggest that XGBoost - AOA is the most accurate model for predicting the pile set-up component.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.131-143
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• 2024

Shield tunneling construction commonly crosses underground pipelines in urban areas, resulting in soil loss and followed deformation of grounds and pipelines nearby, which may threaten the safe operation of shield tunneling. This paper investigated the pipeline deformation caused by double curved shield tunnels in soil-rock composite stratum in Nanjing, China. The stratum settlement equation was modified to consider the double shield tunneling. Moreover, a three dimensional finite element model was established to explore the effects of hard-layer ratio, tunnel curvature radius, pipeline buried depth and other influencing factors. The results indicate the subsequent shield tunnel would cause secondary disturbance to the soil around the preceding tunnel, resulting in increased pipeline and ground surface settlement above the preceding tunnel. The settlement and stress of the pipeline increased gradually as buried depth of the pipeline increased or the hard-layer ratio (the ratio of hard-rock layer thickness to shield tunnel diameter within the range of the tunnel face) decreased. The modified settlement calculation equation was consistent with the measured data, which can be applied to the settlement calculation of ground surface and pipeline settlement. The modified coefficients a and b ranged from 0.45 to 0.95 and 0.90 to 1.25, respectively. Moreover, the hard-layer ratio had the most significant influence on the pipeline settlement, but the tunnel curvature radius and the included angle between pipeline and tunnel axis played a dominant role in the scope of the pipeline settlement deformation.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.289-301
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• 2024

In this work, an analytical model employing a new higher-order shear deformation beam theory is utilized to investigate the bending behavior of axially randomly oriented functionally graded carbon nanotubes reinforced composite nanobeams. A modified continuum nonlocal strain gradient theory is employed to incorporate both microstructural effects and geometric nano-scale length scales. The extended rule of mixture, along with molecular dynamics simulations, is used to assess the equivalent mechanical properties of functionally graded carbon nanotubes reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) beams. Carbon nanotube reinforcements are randomly distributed axially along the length of the beam. The equilibrium equations, accompanied by nonclassical boundary conditions, are formulated, and Navier's procedure is used to solve the resulting differential equation, yielding the response of the nanobeam under various mechanical loadings, including uniform, linear, and sinusoidal loads. Numerical analysis is conducted to examine the influence of inhomogeneity parameters, geometric parameters, types of loading, as well as nonlocal and length scale parameters on the deflections and stresses of axially functionally graded carbon nanotubes reinforced composite (AFG CNTRC) nanobeams. The results indicate that, in contrast to the nonlocal parameter, the beam stiffness is increased by both the CNTs volume fraction and the length-scale parameter. The presented model is applicable for designing and analyzing microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) constructed from carbon nanotubes reinforced composite nanobeams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.659-674
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• 2024

Casting Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) on an orthotropic steel deck and forming a composite action by connectors could improve the steel deck fatigue performance. This study presents the mechanical performance of a proposed post-combination connection between UHPC and steel, which had a low constraint effect on UHPC shrinkage. A total of 10 push-out tests were conducted for static and fatigue performance investigations. And the test results were compared with evaluation methods in codes to verify the latter's applicability. Meanwhile, nonlinear simulation and parametric works with material damage plasticity models were also conducted for the static and fatigue failure mechanism understanding. The static and fatigue test results both showed that fractures at stud roots and surrounding local UHPC crushes were the main failure appearances. Compared with normally arranged studs, group arrangement could result in reductions of static stud shear stiffness, strength, and fatigue lives, which were about 18%, 12%, and 27%, respectively. Compared with the test results, stud shear capacity and fatigue lives evaluations based on the codes of AASHTO, Eurocode 4, JSCE and JTG D64 could be applicable in general while the safety redundancies tended to be smaller or even insufficient for group studs. The analysis results showed that arranging studs in groups caused obviously uneven strain distributions. The severer stress concentration and larger strain ranges caused the static and fatigue performance degradations of group studs. The research outcome provides a very important basis for establishing a design method of connections in the novel post-combination steel-UHPC composite deck.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.3
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• pp.233-252
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• 2024

This research explores a new finite element model for the free vibration analysis of bi-directional functionally graded (BDFG) beams. The model is based on an efficient higher-order shear deformation beam theory that incorporates a trigonometric warping function for both transverse shear deformation and stress to guarantee traction-free boundary conditions without the necessity of shear correction factors. The proposed two-node beam element has three degrees of freedom per node, and the inter-element continuity is retained using both C1 and C0 continuities for kinematics variables. In addition, the mechanical properties of the (BDFG) beam vary gradually and smoothly in both the in-plane and out-of-plane beam's directions according to an exponential power-law distribution. The highly elevated performance of the developed model is shown by comparing it to conceptual frameworks and solution procedures. Detailed numerical investigations are also conducted to examine the impact of boundary conditions, the bi-directional gradient indices, and the slenderness ratio on the free vibration response of BDFG beams. The suggested finite element beam model is an excellent potential tool for the design and the mechanical behavior estimation of BDFG structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.3
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• pp.253-261
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• 2024

This research explores a new finite element model for the free vibration analysis of bi-directional functionally graded (BDFG) beams. The model is based on an efficient higher-order shear deformation beam theory that incorporates a trigonometric warping function for both transverse shear deformation and stress to guarantee traction-free boundary conditions without the necessity of shear correction factors. The proposed two-node beam element has three degrees of freedom per node, and the inter-element continuity is retained using both C1 and C0 continuities for kinematics variables. In addition, the mechanical properties of the (BDFG) beam vary gradually and smoothly in both the in-plane and out-of-plane beam's directions according to an exponential power-law distribution. The highly elevated performance of the developed model is shown by comparing it to conceptual frameworks and solution procedures. Detailed numerical investigations are also conducted to examine the impact of boundary conditions, the bi-directional gradient indices, and the slenderness ratio on the free vibration response of BDFG beams. The suggested finite element beam model is an excellent potential tool for the design and the mechanical behavior estimation of BDFG structures.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.383-393
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• 2024

Monopile foundations of offshore wind turbines embedded in soft clay are subjected to the long-term cyclic lateral loads induced by winds, currents, and waves, the vibration of monopile leads to the accumulation of pore pressure and cyclic strains in the soil in its vicinity, which poses a threat to the safety operation of monopile. The researchers mainly focused on the hysteretic stress-strain relationship of soft clay and kinds of stiffness degradation models have been adopted, which may consume considerable computing resources and is not applicable for the long-term bearing performance analysis of monopile. In this study, a modified cyclic stiffness degradation model considering the effect of plastic strain and pore pressure change has been proposed and validated by comparing with the triaxial test results. Subsequently, the effects of cyclic load ratio, pile aspect ratio, number of load cycles, and length to embedded depth ratio on the accumulated rotation angle and pore pressure are presented. The results indicate the number of load cycles can significantly affect the accumulated rotation angle of monopile, whereas the accumulated pore pressure distribution along the pile merely changes with pile diameter, embedded length, and the number of load cycles, the stiffness of monopile can be significantly weakened by decreasing the embedded depth ratio L/H of monopile. The stiffness degradation of soil is more significant in the passive earth pressure zone, in which soil liquefaction is likely to occur. Furthermore, the suitability of the "accumulated rotation angle" and "accumulated pore pressure" design criteria for determining the required cyclic load ratio are discussed.