• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.38 no.11
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• pp.1257-1264
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• 2014

Efforts are presently underway for developing an optimal design methodology for GEN-IV nuclear reactors based on target failure probabilities. A typical example is the system-based code, in which the results are represented in the form of partial safety factors (PSFs). Thus, a PSF is one of the crucial elements in either component design or integrity assessment based on target failure probabilities during the operation period. In the present study, a procedure for calculating the PSF of a circumferential through-wall cracked pipe based on the elastic-plastic crack initiation criterion is established, in which the importance of each input variable is assessed. Elastic-plastic J-integrals are calculated using the GE/EPRI and reference stress methods, and the PSF values are calculated using both first- and second-order reliability methods. Moreover, the effect of statistical distributions of assessment variables on the PSF is also evaluated.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.521-527
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• 2013

This study provides the elastic stress intensity factors, K, for circumferential and longitudinal surface cracked straight pipes under single or combined loads of internal pressure, bending, and torsion based on three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) analyses. FE results are compared with two different types of defect assessment codes (API-579-1 and RCC-MR A16) to prove the accuracy of the FE results and the differences between the codes. Through the 3D FE analysis, it is found that the stress intensity factors are sensitive to the number of elements, which they were believed to not be sensitive to because of path independence. Differences were also found between the FE analysis results for crack defining methods and the results obtained by two different types of defect assessment codes.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1741-1751
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• 2004

It is commonly requested that the steam generator tubes wall-thinned in excess of 40% should be plugged. However, the plugging criterion is known to be too conservative for some locations and types of defects and its application is limited to a single crack in spite of the fact that the occurrence of multiple through-wall cracks is more common in general. The objective of this research is to propose the optimum failure prediction models for two adjacent through-wall cracks in steam generator tubes. The conservatism of the present plugging criteria was reviewed using the existing failure prediction models for a single crack, and six new failure prediction models for multiple through-wall cracks have been introduced. Then, in order to determine the optimum ones among these new local or global failure prediction models, a series of plastic collapse tests and corresponding finite element analyses for two adjacent through-wall cracks in thin plate were carried out. Thereby, the reaction force model, plastic zone contact model and COD (Crack-Opening Displacement) base model were selected as the optimum ones for assessment of steam generator tubes with multiple through-wall cracks. The selected optimum failure prediction models, finally, were used to estimate the coalescence pressure of two adjacent through-wall cracks in steam generator tubes.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.341-348
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• 2024

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) has received remarkable attentions in civil infrastructure due to its unique mechanical characteristics and durability. UHPC gains increasingly dominant in essential structural elements, while its unique properties pose challenges for traditional inspection methods, as damage may not always manifest visibly on the surface. As such, the need for robust inspection techniques for detecting cracks in UHPC members has become imperative as traditional methods often fall short in providing comprehensive and timely evaluations. In the era of artificial intelligence, computer vision has gained considerable interest as a powerful tool to enhance infrastructure condition assessment with image and video data collected from sensors, cameras, and unmanned aerial vehicles. This paper presents a computer vision-based approach employing deep learning to detect cracks in UHPC beams, with the aim of addressing the inherent limitations of traditional inspection methods. This work leverages computer vision to discern intricate patterns and anomalies. Particularly, a convolutional neural network architecture employing transfer learning is adopted to identify the presence of cracks in the beams. The proposed approach is evaluated with image data collected from full-scale experiments conducted on UHPC beams subjected to flexural and shear loadings. The results of this study indicate the applicability of computer vision and deep learning as intelligent methods to detect major and minor cracks and recognize various damage mechanisms in UHPC members with better efficiency compared to conventional monitoring methods. Findings from this work pave the way for the development of autonomous infrastructure health monitoring and condition assessment, ensuring early detection in response to evolving structural challenges. By leveraging computer vision, this paper contributes to usher in a new era of effectiveness in autonomous crack detection, enhancing the resilience and sustainability of UHPC civil infrastructure.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2017

There are many Industry Code and Standard (ICS) for Structural Integrity Assessment (SIA) on welded structure with defect. The general ICSs, such as R6, BS 7910 and API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, provide equations to determine the upper bound residual stress profiles based on collections from many literatures. However, these residual stress profiles used in the SIA cause the conservative design for welded structures. In this study, the structural integrity assessment for girth weld in pipeline has been conducted based on fracture mechanics. In addition, thermo-elastic plastic FE analysis was performed for evaluating the residual stress of girth weld in pipeline. The weight function solution is used to determine the stress intensity factor using the residual stress profile obtained by the FE analysis. This approach can account for redistribution and relaxation of residual stress as the defects grow. In order to the evaluate quantitative comparison between BS 7910 and weight function solution, structural integrity assessment determining allowable crack size on cracked pipe was performed with failure assessment diagram.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.7-12
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• 2007

In order to evaluate the integrity of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes, probabilistic fracture mechanics(PFM) approach was employed. Failure assessment diagram(FAD), plastic collapses, and critical crack lengths(CCL) were used for evaluating the failure probability as failure criteria. The Kr-FAD as failure assessment diagram was used because fracture of pressure tubes occurred in brittle manner due to hydrogen embrittlement of material by deuterium fluence. The probabilistic integrity evaluation observed AECL procedures and used fracture toughness parameters of EPRI and recently announced theory. In conclusion, the probabilistic approach using the Kr-FAD made it possible to determine major failure criterion in the pressure tube integrity evaluation.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.731-740
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• 1995

The objective of this paper is to develop defect assessment technology for integrity evaluation of CANDU pressure tubes. In fracture mechanics analysis, three-dimensional and two-dimensional (line-spring model) finite element analyses were performed to obtain the stress intensity factor for axial and circumferential surface cracks. In leak before break (LBB) analysis, heat transfer analyses for through-wall cracks were performed by considering the cooling effect and the LBB application time was computed. It was shown that the analytical results obtained in this study provide less-conservative but accurate solution for defect assessment of CANDU pressure tubes.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.289-294
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• 1996

This paper persents the assessment of the minimum shear reinforcement requirements in normal, medium and high-strength reinforced concrete beams. Twelve shear tests were conducted on full-scale beam specimens having design concrete compressive strengths of 35, 70 and 100 MPa. Different amounts of minimum shear reinfrocement were investigated, including the amounts required by Korean Concrete Standard (KCI88), JCI86, ACI89 (revised 1992) and CSA94 standard. The performance of the different amounts of shear reinforcement are discussed in terms of the shear capacity, the ductility and the crack control at service load levels. An assessment of code provisions for minimum shear reinforcememt, and the prediction and comparison of the ultimate shear capacity are also presented.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.135-154
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• 2008

This paper presents a nonlinear finite element analysis procedure for the seismic performance assessment of reinforced concrete bridge piers with unbonded reinforcing or prestressing bars. A computer program named RCAHEST (Reinforced Concrete Analysis in Higher Evaluation System Technology) is used to analyze reinforced concrete structures; this program was also used in our study. Tensile, compressive and shear models of cracked concrete and models of reinforcing and prestressing steel were used account for material nonlinearity of reinforced concrete. The smeared crack approach was incorporated. To represent the interaction between unbonded reinforcing or prestressing bar and concrete, an unbonded reinforcing or prestressing bar element based on the finite element method was developed in this study. The proposed numerical method for the seismic performance assessment of reinforced concrete bridge piers with unbonded reinforcing or prestressing bars is verified by comparison of its results with reliable experimental results.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.293-300
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• 2006

A liquid metal reactor (LMR) operated at high temperatures is subjected to both cyclic mechanical loading and thermal loading; thus, creep-fatigue is a major concern to be addressed with regard to maintaining structural integrity. The Korea Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor (KALIMER), which has a normal operating temperature of $545^{\circ}C$ and a total service life time of 60 years, is composed of various cylindrical structures, such as the reactor vessel and the reactor baffle. This study focuses on the creepfatigue crack initiation for a cylindrical Y-junction structure made of 316 stainless steel (SS), which is subjected to cyclic axial tensile loading and thermal loading at a high-temperature hold time of $545^{\circ}C$. The evaluation of the considered creep-fatigue crack initiation was carried out utilizing the ${\sigma}_d$ approach of the RCC-MR A16 guide, which is the high-temperature defect assessment procedure. This procedure is based on the total accumulated strain during the service time. To confirm the evaluated result, a high-temperature creep-fatigue structural test was performed. The test model had a circumferential through wall defect at the center of the model. The defect front of the test model was investigated after the $100^{th}$ cycle of the testing by utilizing a metallurgical inspection technique with an optical microscope, after which the test result was compared with the evaluation result. This study shows how creep-fatigue crack initiation for a high-temperature structure can be predicted with conservatism per the RCC-MR A16 guide.