• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.29 no.7 s.238
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• pp.990-997
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• 2005

The objective of this paper is to present the element connectivity parameterization (ECP) fur three dimensional problems. In the ECP method, a continuum structure is viewed as discretized finite elements connected by zero-length elastic links whose stiffness values control the degree of inter-element connectivity. The ECP method can effectively avoid the formation of the low-density unstable elements. These elements appear when the standard element density method is used for geometrical nonlinear problems. In this paper, this ECP method developed fur two-dimensional problems is expanded to the design of three-dimensional geometrical nonlinear structures. Among others, the automatic procedure converting standard finite element models to the models suitable for the ECP approach is developed and applied for optimization problems defined on general three-dimensional design domains.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.91-103
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• 2017

This paper analyzes the dynamic behavior of the deck of pergola bridges affected by moving loads, specifically high-speed trains. Due to their characteristic advantages, pergola bridges have become a widely used structural typology on high-speed railways. In spite of such wide-spread use, there are few technical bibliographies published in this field. The first part of this paper develops a simple analytical methodology to study the complex dynamic behavior of these double dimensional structures. The second part compares the results obtained by the proposed formulae and the dynamic response obtained with different and gradually more complex FE models. The results obtained by the analytical model are in close agreement with those obtained by the FE models, demonstrating its potential application in the early design stages of this kind of structure.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.689-704
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• 2017

The paper presents experimental and numerical investigations of prefabricated composite structural building reinforced concrete slabs with the insulating material for a residential building construction. The building slabs were composed of concrete and expanded polystyrene. In experiments, the slabs in the full-scale 1:1 were subjected to vertical concentrated loads and failed along a diagonal shear crack. The experiments were numerically evaluated using the finite element method based on two different constitutive continuum models for concrete. First, an elasto-plastic model with the Drucker-Prager criterion defined in compression and with the Rankine criterion defined in tension was used. Second, a coupled elasto-plastic-damage formulation based on the strain equivalence hypothesis was used. In order to describe strain localization in concrete, both models were enhanced in the softening regime by a characteristic length of micro-structure by means of a non-local theory. Attention was paid to the formation of critical diagonal shear crack which was a failure precursor.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.71 no.1
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• pp.89-98
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• 2019

In this study, the mechanical bending behaviors of functionally graded porous nanobeams are investigated. Four types of porosity which are, the classical power porosity function, the symmetric with mid-plane cosine function, bottom surface distribution and top surface distribution are proposed in analysis of nanobeam for the first time. A comparison between four types of porosity are illustrated. The effect of nano-scale is described by the differential nonlocal continuum theory of Eringen by adding the length scale into the constitutive equations as a material parameter comprising information about nanoscopic forces and its interactions. The graded material is designated by a power function through the thickness of nanobeam. The beam is simply-supported and is assumed to be thin, and hence, the kinematic assumptions of Euler-Bernoulli beam theory are held. The mathematical model is solved numerically using the finite element method. Numerical results show effects of porosity type, material graduation, and nanoscale parameters on the static deflection of nanobeam.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.585-612
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• 2013

The paper presents quasi-static numerical simulations of the behaviour of short reinforced concrete beams without shear reinforcement under mixed shear-tension failure using the FEM and four various constitutive continuum models for concrete. First, an isotropic elasto-plastic model with a Drucker-Prager criterion defined in compression and with a Rankine criterion defined in tension was used. Next, an anisotropic smeared crack and isotropic damage model were applied. Finally, an elasto-plastic-damage model was used. To ensure mesh-independent FE results, to describe strain localization in concrete and to capture a deterministic size effect, all models were enhanced in a softening regime by a characteristic length of micro-structure by means of a non-local theory. Bond-slip between concrete and reinforcement was considered. The numerical results were directly compared with the corresponding laboratory tests performed by Walraven and Lehwalter (1994). The advantages and disadvantages of enhanced models to model the reinforced concrete behaviour were outlined.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.27-42
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• 2018

Behavior of soil is usually described with continuum type of failure models such as Mohr-Coulomb or Drucker-Prager model. The main advantage of these models is in a relatively simple and efficient way of predicting the main tendencies and overall behavior of soil in failure analysis of interest for engineering practice. However, the main shortcoming of these models is that they are not able to capture post-peak behavior of soil nor the corresponding failure modes under extreme loading. In this paper we will significantly improve on this state-of-the-art. In particular, we propose the use of a discrete beam lattice model to provide a sharp prediction of inelastic response and failure mechanisms in coupled soil-foundation systems. In the discrete beam lattice model used in this paper, soil is meshed with one-dimensional Timoshenko beam finite elements with embedded strong discontinuities in axial and transverse direction capable of representing crack propagation in mode I and mode II. Mode I relates to crack opening, and mode II relates to crack sliding. To take into account material heterogeneities, we determine fracture limits for each Timoshenko beam with Gaussian random distribution. We compare the results obtained using the discrete beam lattice model against those obtained using the modified three-surface elasto-plastic cap model.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.685-698
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• 2001

In this paper, a general method for the automatic search for Strut-and-Tie (S&T) models representative of possible resistant mechanisms in reinforced concrete elements is proposed. The representativeness criterion here adopted is inspired to the principle of minimum strain energy and requires the consistency of the model with a reference stress field. In particular, a highly indeterminate pin-jointed framework of a given layout is generated within the assigned geometry of the concrete element and an optimum truss is found by the minimisation of a suitable objective function. Such a function allows us to search the optimum truss according to a reference stress field deduced through a F.E.A. and assumed as representative of the given continuum. The theoretical principles and the mathematical formulation of the method are firstly explained; the search for a S&T model suitable for the design of a deep beam shows the method capability in handling the reference stress path. Finally, since the analysis may consider the structure as linear-elastic or cracked and non-linear in both the component materials, it is shown how the proposed procedure allows us to verify the possibilities of activation of the design model, oriented to the serviceability condition and deduced in the linear elastic field, by following the evolution of the resistant mechanisms in the cracked non-linear field up to the structural failure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.727-741
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• 2014

The functionally graded beam (FGB) is investigated in this study on both dynamic and static loading in case of resting on a soil medium rather than on the usual Winkler-Pasternak elastic foundation. The powerful ABAQUS software was used to model the problem applying finite element method. In the present study, two different soil models are taken into account. In the first model, the soil is assumed to be an elastic plane stress medium. In the second soil model, the Drucker-Prager yield criterion, which is one of the most well-known elastic-perfectly plastic constitutive models, is used for modelling the soil medium. The results are shown to evaluate the effects of the different soil models, stiffness values of the elastic soil medium on the normal and shear stress and free vibration properties. A comparison was made to those from the existing literature. Numerical results show that considering real soil as a continuum space affects the results of the bending and the modal properties significantly.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.19-33
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• 2014

Structural robustness refers to the ability of a structure to avoid disproportionate consequences to the original cause. Currently attentions focus on the concepts of structural robustness, and discussions on methods of robustness based structural design are rare. Firstly, taking basis in robust $H_{\infty}$ control theory, structural robustness is assessed by $H_{\infty}$ norm of the system transfer function. Then using the SIMP material model, robustness based design of grid structures is formulated as a continuum topology optimization problem, where the relative density of each element and structural robustness are considered as the design variable and the optimization objective respectively. Generalized elitist genetic algorithm is used to solve the optimization problem. As examples, robustness configurations of plane stress model and the rectangular hyperbolic shell model were obtained by robustness based structural design. Finally, two models of single-layer grid structures were designed by conventional and robustness based method respectively. Different interference scenarios were simulated by static and impact experiments, and robustness of the models were analyzed and compared. The results show that the $H_{\infty}$ structural robustness index can indicate whether the structural response is proportional to the original cause. Robustness based structural design improves structural robustness effectively, and it can provide a conceptual design in the initial stage of structural design.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.29 no.spc1
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• pp.169-170
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• 1996

In the past, it. was very difficult to distinguish thermal and non-thermal emission. Broadbent et a1. (1989) has developed a new technique with the help of the IRAS 60 micron emission. The distribution of non-thermal or synchrotron emission in the Galactic disk has been modeled from the 408 MHz all sky survey of Haslam et a1. (1982) after removal of the thermal component.. At. 408 MHz, t.here is very little absorption in the interstellar medium and the distribution along the line-of-sight. is inferred mainly from its presumed relationship to other tracers of spiral structure via a. number of fitted parameters. But. at lower frequencies, free-free absorption becomes important and can give some direct. information on the line of sight. distribution. We have modeled the thermal electron density according to the spiral arm models and the distribution of ionized hydrogen in the Galactic plane by Lockman (1976) and Cersosimo et. al. (1989) and have made predictions to compare with the surveys of Dwarakanath et al. (1990) at. 34.5 MHz and .Jones and Finlay (1974) at 29.9 MHz. The result confirms that the absorption model of the synchrotron emissivity in the Galactic plane is broadly corrected and illustrates the potential of the absorption technique.