• Computers and Concrete
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.19-32
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• 2022

This paper presents an investigation into the failure of RC columns under impact loadings. A numerical simulation of 19 identical RC columns subjected to single and repeated impact loadings was performed. A free-falling hammer was dropped at midspan with the same total kinetic energy input but varying mass and momentum. The specimens under the repeated impact test were struck two times at the same location. The colliding index, defined as the impact energy-momentum ratio, was proposed to explain the different impact responses under equal-energy impacts. The increase of colliding index from low to high indicates the transition of the impact response from static to dynamic and failure mode from flexure to shear. This phenomenon was more evident when the column had a greater axial load and was impacted with a high colliding index. The existence of the axial load had an inhibitory effect on the crack development and increased the shear resistance. The second impact changes the failure mode from flexural to brittle shear as found in the specimen with 20% axial load subjected to high a colliding index. Moreover, a deflection prediction equation based on the impact energy and force was limited to the low colliding index impact.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.673-687
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• 2023

In this study, the weight and the connections type layout of low-rise eccentrically braced frame (EBF) have been optimized based on performance-based design method. For this purpose, two objective functions were defined based on two different aspects on rigid connections, in one of which minimization and in the other one, maximization of the number of rigid connections was considered. These two objective functions seek to increase the area under the pushover curve, in addition to the reduction of the weight and selection of the optimum connections type layout. The performance of these objective functions was investigated in optimal design of a three-story eccentrically braced frame, using two meta-heuristic algorithms: Enhanced Colliding Bodies Optimization (ECBO) and Enhanced Vibrating Particles System (EVPS). Then, the reliability indices of the optimal designs for both objective functions were calculated for the story lateral drift limits using Monte-Carlo Simulation (MCS) method. Based on the reliability assessment results of the optimal designs and taking the three levels of safety into account, the final designs were selected and their specifications were compared.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.597-609
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• 2023

One of the applicable methods for the stabilization of soil walls is the nailing system which consists of tensile struts. The stability and safety of soil nail wall systems are influenced by the geometrical parameters of the nailing system. Generally, the determination of nailing parameters in order to achieve optimal performance of the nailing system for the safety of soil walls is defined in the framework of optimization problems. Also, according to the various uncertainty in the mechanical parameters of soil structures, it is necessary to evaluate the reliability of the system as a probabilistic problem. In this paper, the optimal design of the nailing system is carried out in deterministic and probabilistic cases using meta-heuristic and reliability-based design optimization methods. The colliding body optimization algorithm and first-order reliability method are used for optimization and reliability analysis problems, respectively. The objective function is defined based on the total cost of nails and safety factors and reliability index are selected as constraints. The mechanical properties of the nailing system are selected as design variables and the mechanical properties of the soil are selected as random variables. The results show that the reliability of the optimally designed soil nail system is very sensitive to uncertainty in soil mechanical parameters. Also, the design results are affected by uncertainties in soil mechanical parameters due to the values of safety factors. Reliability-based design optimization results show that a nailing system can be designed for the expected level of reliability and failure probability.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.353-360
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• 2011

The prediction of binary droplet collisions is important in the formation of falling drops and the evolution of sprays. The droplet velocity, impact parameter, and drop-size ratio influence the interaction between the droplets. The effect of these parameters results in complicated collision phenomena. Droplet collisions can be classified into four types of interactions: bouncing, coalescence, reflexive separation, and stretching separation. In the present study, the interfacial flow problem of the droplet collision was numerically simulated by using the level set method. 2D axisymmetric simulations on the head-on collisions and 3D simulation on the off-center collisions were performed. The numerical results of droplet behavior after the collision agreed well with the experimental and analytical results. The mixing of the mass of the initial droplets after the collision was also predicted by using different species index of colliding droplets.