• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.387-396
• /
• 2008

Many experimental analyses for annular film dryouts, which is one of the Critical Heat Flux (CHF) mechanisms, have been performed because of their importance. Numerical approaches must also be developed in order to assess the results from experiments and to perform pre-tests before experiments. Various thermal-hydraulic codes, such as RELAP, COBRATF, MARS, etc., have been used in the assessment of the results of dryout experiments and in experimental pre-tests. These thermal-hydraulic codes are general tools intended for the analysis of various phenomena that could appear in nuclear power plants, and many models applying these codes are unnecessarily complex for the focused analysis of dryout phenomena alone. In this study, a numerical model was developed for annular film dryout using the drift-flux model from uniform heated tube geometry. Several candidates of models that strongly affect dryout, such as the entrainment model, deposition model, and the criterion for the dryout point model, were tested as candidates for inclusion in an optimized annular film dryout model. The optimized model was developed by adopting the best combination of these candidate models, as determined through comparison with experimental data. This optimized model showed reasonable results, which were better than those of MARS code.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.259-269
• /
• 2005

Many slab-on-girder bridges around the world are being assessed because they are approaching the end of their anticipated design lives or codes are permitting higher allowable loads. Current analytical techniques assume that the concrete and steel components act independently, typically requiring full-scale load testing to more accurately predict the remaining strength or endurance of the structure. However, many of the load tests carried out on these types of bridges would be unnecessary if the degree of interaction resulting from friction at the steel-concrete interface could be adequately modeled. Experimental testing confirmed that interface friction has a negligible effect on the flexural capacity of a slab-on-girder beam however, it also showed that interface friction is significant under serviceability loading. This has led to the development of an improved analytical technique which is presented in this paper and referred to as the slab-on-girder mixed analysis service load assessment approach.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.62 no.4
• /
• pp.391-399
• /
• 2017

This study investigates the effects of soft story, short columns, heavy overhangs, pounding, and construction and workmanship quality parameters on seismic response of reinforced concrete buildings through nonlinear static and dynamic procedures. The accounted parameters are selected for their common use in rapid screening of RC buildings. The 4- and 7-story buildings designed according to pre-modern codes are used to reflect majority of the existing building stock. The relative penalty scores are employed in this study to evaluate relative importance of certain irregularities in the existing rapid seismic assessment procedures. Comparison of relative scores for the irregularities considered in this study show that the overall trend is similar. The relatively small differences may be accounted for regional construction practices. It is concluded that initial-phase seismic assessment procedures based on architectural features yield in somewhat similar results independent of their bases. However, the differences in the scores emphasize the proper selection of the method based on the regional structure characteristics.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.63-75
• /
• 2007

The code provisions on lap splices are critically assessed in the light of 203 beams without transverse reinforcement and 278 beams with transverse reinforcement. For comparison, the provisions given in the ACI 318, Eurocode 2, and TS 500 Codes are considered. The ACI Committee 408 recommended provision and a new proposal are also taken into account throughout the assessment. The comparison with real beam tests where the splice region was subjected to constant moment indicates that current provisions in the Codes do not agree acceptably with test results. The steel stress prediction graphs calculated by means of the Code provisions show high scatter and remain unsafe especially for test data without transverse reinforcement. Both the recent recommended provision by ACI Committee 408 and a new design expression proposed by the author have much less scatter with fewer unsafe predictions. The simplified design provision proposed by ACI Committee 408 does not yield similar results to that of the advanced design provision proposed by the same committee and therefore it could conveniently be replaced with the simpler equation proposed by the author.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.119-125
• /
• 2009

Corrosion assessment has a number of uses but the use considered here is as a precursor to Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) planning. Systematic methods consisting of technical modules of RBI program were used to assess the effect of specific corrosion mechanism on the probability of failure in equipments of petrochemical plants. Especially in part of the damage and corrosion assessment, screening step involved evaluating the combinations of process conditions and construction materials for each equipment item in order to determine which damage mechanisms are potentially active. For general internal corrosion, either API 510 or API 570 was applied as the damage rate in the calculation to determine the remaining life and inspection frequency. In some cases, a measured rate of corrosion may not be available. The technical modules of RBI program employ default values for corrosion, typically derived from published data or from experience with similar processes, for use until inspection results are available. This paper describes the case study of corrosion and damage assessment by using RBI methodology in petrochemical plant. Specifically, this paper reports the methodology and the results of its application to the petrochemical units using the $KGS-RBI^{TM}$ program, developed by the Korea Gas Safety Corporation to suit Korean situation in conformity with API 581 Codes.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.8
• /
• pp.2600-2609
• /
• 2021

Low cycle fatigue behaviors of SA508-3 low-alloy steel were investigated in room-temperature air, high-temperature air and in light water reactor (LWR) water environments. The fatigue mean curve and design curve for the low-alloy steel are developed based on the fatigue data in room-temperature and high-temperature air. The environmental fatigue model for low-alloy steel is developed by the environmental fatigue correction factor (F_en) methodology based on the fatigue data in LWR water environments with the consideration of effects of strain rate, temperature, and dissolved oxygen concentration on the fatigue life.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.747-752
• /
• 2009

A vulnerability assessment is essential for the efficient operation of a physical protection system (PPS). Previous assessment codes have used a simple model called an adversary sequence diagram. In this study, the use of a two-dimensional (2D) map of a facility as a model for a PPS is suggested as an alternative approach. The analysis of a 2D model, however, consumes a lot of time. Accordingly, a generalized heuristic algorithm has been applied to address this issue. The proposed assessment method was implemented to a computer code; Systematic Analysis of physical Protection Effectiveness (SAPE). This code was applied to a variety of facilities and evaluated for feasibility by applying it to various facilities. To help upgrade a PPS, a sensitivity analysis of all protection elements along a chosen path is proposed. SAPE will help to accurately and intuitively assess a PPS.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.41-48
• /
• 2004

A safety assessment code, called SAGE (Safety Assessment Groundwater Evaluation), has been developed to describe post-closure radionuclide releases and potential radiological doses for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW) disposal in an engineered vault facility in Korea. The conceptual model implemented in the code is focused on the release of radionuclide from a gradually degrading engineered barrier system to an underlying unsaturated zone, thence to a saturated groundwater zone. The radionuclide transport equations are solved by spatially discretizing the disposal system into a series of compartments. Mass transfer between compartments is by diffusion/dispersion and advection. In all compartments, radionuclides ate decayed either as a single-member chain or as multi-member chains. The biosphere is represented as a set of steady-state, radionuclide-specific pathway dose conversion factors that are multiplied by the appropriate release rate from the far field for each pathway. The code has the capability to treat input parameters either deterministically or probabilistically. Parameter input is achieved through a user-friendly Graphical User Interface. An application is presented, which is compared against safety assessment results from the other computer codes, to benchmark the reliability of system-level conceptual modeling of the code.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.11 no.6
• /
• pp.925-942
• /
• 2016

With ongoing development of earthquake engineering research and the lessons learnt from a series of strong earthquakes, the seismic design concept of "resilience" has received much attention. Resilience describes the capability of a structure or a city to recover rapidly after earthquakes or other disasters. As one of the main features of urban constructions, tall buildings have greater impact on the sustainability and resilience of major cities. Therefore, it is important and timely to quantify their seismic resilience. In this work, a quantitative comparison of the seismic resilience of two tall buildings designed according to the Chinese and US seismic design codes was conducted. The prototype building, originally designed according to the US code as part of the Tall Building Initiative (TBI) Project, was redesigned in this work according to the Chinese codes under the same design conditions. Two refined nonlinear finite element (FE) models were established for both cases and their seismic responses were evaluated at different earthquake intensities, including the service level earthquake (SLE), the design-based earthquake (DBE) and the maximum considered earthquake (MCE). In addition, the collapse fragility functions of these two building models were established through incremental dynamic analysis (IDA). Based on the numerical results, the seismic resilience of both models was quantified and compared using the new-generation seismic performance assessment method proposed by FEMA P-58. The outcomes of this study indicate that the seismic resilience of the building according to the Chinese design is slightly better than that according to the US design. The conclusions drawn from this research are expected to guide further in-depth studies on improving the seismic resilience of tall buildings.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.43 no.6
• /
• pp.785-796
• /
• 2022

Concrete-encased steel (CES) beam, in which structural steel is encased in a reinforced concrete (RC) section, is widely applied in high-rise buildings as transfer beams due to its high load-carrying capacity, great stiffness, and good durability. However, these CES beams are prone to shear failure because of the low shear span-to-depth ratio and the heavy load. Due to the high load-carrying capacity and the brittle failure process of the shear failure, the accurate strength prediction of CES beams significantly influences the assessment of structural safety. In current design codes, design formulas for predicting the shear strength of CES beams are based on the so-called "superposition method". This method indicates that the shear strength of CES beams can be obtained by superposing the shear strengths of the RC part and the steel shape. Nevertheless, in some cases, this method yields errors on the unsafe side because the shear strengths of these two parts cannot be achieved simultaneously. This paper clarifies the conditions at which the superposition method does not hold true, and the shear strength of CES beams is investigated using a compatible truss-arch model. Considering the deformation compatibility between the steel shape and the RC part, the method to obtain the shear strength of CES beams is proposed. Finally, the proposed model is compared with other calculation methods from codes AISC 360 (USA, North America), Eurocode 4 (Europe), YB 9082 (China, Asia), JGJ 138 (China, Asia), and AS/NZS 2327 (Australia/New Zealand, Oceania) using the available test data consisting of 45 CES beams. The results indicate that the proposed model can predict the shear strength of CES beams with sufficient accuracy and safety. Without considering the deformation compatibility, the calculation methods from the codes AISC 360, Eurocode 4, YB 9082, JGJ 138, and AS/NZS 2327 lead to excessively conservative or unsafe predictions.