• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.21-32
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• 2018

Prefabricated structures are constructed by bolted connections of separated members. The design and analysis of these structures are generally performed by defining fully hinges for the connection of separated members at the joint of junction. In practice, these connections are not fully hinged. Therefore, the assumption of semi-rigid connections (restrained or partially fixity) instead of fully hinge connections is a more realistic approach for bolted connections used in the prefabricated elements. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of semi-rigid connections on seismic performance of prefabricated structures. Nonlinear static analysis (pushover analysis) of a selected RC prefabricated structure is performed with SAP2000 structural analysis program by considering various partially fixity percentages for bolted connections. The target values of roof displacements obtained from the analyses according to ATC-40, FEMA-356, FEMA-440, and TEC-2007 codes are compared each other. The numerical results are given in tables and figures comparatively and discussed. The results show that the effects of semi-rigid connections should be considered in design and analysis of the prefabricated structures.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.731-742
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• 1998

Bolted opening structures is widely applied for class 1 machinery of nuclear plant with strict design requirement. As the shape of the bolted opening structure is non-axisymmetric due to the existence of stud bolts although it is almost axi-symmetric, 3D analysis is required to satisfy such kind of design requirements. Because as much as possible trial computations are need to get an optimal design condition in the limited period of basic design, an easy and fast analysis tool is useful in the design stage. In the paper, a transformation technique of non-axisymmetric problem into quasi-axisymmetric has been proposed based on the general purpose commercial code ANSYS. Both the pre-processor which incorporates the technique and prepares data and post-processor which prepares arranged results from the huge output of commercial code have been developed to help the design engineers.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Advanced Composite Structures
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.16-26
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• 2010

In this paper, we present the result of investigations pertaining to the development of the floating type photovoltaic energy generation system. Pultruded FRP has superior mechanical and physical properties compared with those of conventional structural materials. Since the FRP has an excellent corrosion-resistance and high specific strength and stiffness, the FRP material may be highly appreciated for the development of the floating type photovoltaic energy generation system. In the paper, we discussed the development concepts of the floating type photovoltaic energy generation system, briefly. The mechanical properties of the FRP structural member used in the development are investigated through the tensile and compression tests. Test results are used in the finite element analysis and the design of the system. In addition, bolted connections of the members are briefly discussed and the strengths of FRP bolted connections are estimated based on the results of experiments. The experimental results are compared with the finite element analysis results and discussed briefly. The floating type photovoltaic energy generation system is designed, fabricated, and installed successfully in site.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2018

The safety evaluation of horizontal and vertical bolted connection between PHC piles is presented. The numerical analysis model is constructed using the commercial finite element program, ABAQUS, in which 3D solid element is used to model all the connection devices. The actual bolted connection is idealized by the contact and tie condition given in ABAQUS. Through the finite element analysis, the compression, tensile, bending and shear behaviors of PHC pile connection were analyzed. The safety factor based on Von-Mises and yield stress was calculated for the safety evaluation of each connection devices.

• Composites Research
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.186-190
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• 2012

With the wide application of fiber-reinforced composite material in aero-structures and mechanical parts, composite joint have become a very important research area because they are often the weakest sites in composite structures. In this paper, the failure strengths of the bolted joint and pin joint which have variable hole clearance were evaluated and compared. From the tests, the first failure loads of the bolted joint and pin joint with $880{\mu}m$ hole clearance have decreased by 24.2 % and 51.3 % compared to those of joints with $0{\mu}m$ hole clearance, respectively. Also, the failure index of the joints were calculated by the finite element method and compared with experimental results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.33-53
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• 2006

The rotational behaviour of bolted extended end plate beam-to-column connections is evaluated in the context of the component method. The full moment-rotation response is characterized from the force-deformation curve of the individual joint components. The deformability of end plate connections is mostly governed by the bending of the column flange and/or end plate and tension elongation of the bolts. These components form the tension zone of the joint that can be modelled by means of "equivalent T-stubs". A systematic analytical procedure for characterization of the monotonic force-deformation behaviour of individual T-stub connections is proposed. In the framework of the component method, the T-stub is then inserted in the joint spring model to generate the moment-rotation response of the joint. The procedures are validated with the results from an experimental investigation of eight statically loaded extended end plate bolted moment connections carried out at the Delft University of Technology. Because ductility is such an important property in terms of joint performance, particularly in the partial strength joint scenario, special attention is given to this issue.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.237-253
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• 2017

Among various structural health monitoring technologies, impedance-based damage detection has been recognized as a promising tool for diagnosing critical members of civil structures. Since the piezoelectric transducers used in the impedance-based technique should be bonded to the surface of the structure using bonding layers (e.g., epoxy layer), it is hard to maintain the as-built condition of the bonding layers and to reconfigure the devices if needed. This study presents an experimental investigation by using magnetically attached PZT-interface for the impedance-based damage detection in bolted girder connections. Firstly, the principle of the impedance-based damage detection via the PZT-interface device is outlined. Secondly, a PZT-interface attachment method in which permanent magnets are used to replace the conventional bonding layers is proposed. Finally, the use of the magnetic attraction for the PZT-interface is experimentally evaluated via detecting the bolt-loosening events in a bolted girder connection. Also, the sensitivity of impedance signatures obtained from the PZT-interface is analyzed with regard to the interface's material.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.353-370
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• 2020

This paper describes a new type of replaceable fuse for moment resisting frames. Column-tree connections with beam splice connections are frequently preferred in the moment resisting frames since they eliminate field welding and provide good quality. In the column-tree connections, a part of the beam is welded to the column in the shop and the rest of the beam is bolted with the splice connection in the field. In this study, a replaceable reduced beam section (R-RBS) connection is proposed in order to eliminate welding process and facilitate assembly at the site. In the proposed R-RBS connection, one end is connected by a beam splice connection to the beam and the other end is connected by a bolted end-plate connection to the column. More importantly is that the proposed R-RBS connection allows the replacement of the damaged R-RBS easily right after an earthquake. Pursuant to this goal, experimental and numerical studies have been undertaken to investigate the performance of the R-RBS connection. An experimental study on the RBS connection was used to substantiate the numerical model using ABAQUS, a commercially available finite element software. Additionally, five different finite element models were developed to conduct a parametric study. The results of the analysis were compared in terms of the moment and energy absorption capacities, PEEQ, rupture and tri-axiality indexes. The design process as well as the optimum dimensions of the R-RBS connections are presented. It was also demonstrated that the proposed R-RBS connection satisfies AISC criteria based on the nonlinear finite element analysis results.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.329-344
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• 2009

Ultrasonic chaotic excitations combined with sensor prediction algorithms have shown the ability to identify incipient damage (loss of preload) in a bolted joint. In this study we examine a physical experiment on a single-bolt aluminum lap joint as well as a three-dimensional physics-based simulation designed to model the behavior of guided ultrasonic waves through a similarly configured joint. A multiple bolt frame structure is also experimentally examined. In the physical experiment each signal is imparted to the structure through a macro-fiber composite (MFC) patch on one side of the lap joint and sensed using an equivalent MFC patch on the opposite side of the joint. The model applies the waveform via direct nodal displacement and 'senses' the resulting displacement using an average of the nodal strain over an area equivalent to the MFC patch. A novel statistical classification feature is developed from information theory concepts of cross-prediction and interdependence. This damage detection algorithm is used to evaluate multiple damage levels and locations.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 1994

In this study, the finite element analysis using joint elements, bolt elements, and shell elements is presented to investigate the behavior of bolted connections. The contact of plates and the high-strength, pretensioned bolts are simply idealized by joint elements and bolt elements, respectively. The initial stiffness is determined through the presented method and the non-linear analysis is archived by a constant-arc-length method based on Newton-Raphson method. The analysis results of a semi-rigid connection(web & flange angles) and a moment connection (shear & moment plates) demonstrate the exactness and applicability of the presented method. And the results indicates that the consideration of slip and 3-dimensional deformation is needed for an accurate prediction of bolted connections.