• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.479-500
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• 2022

In this study, a new type of isolation bearing is proposed by combining S-shaped steel plate dampers (SSDs) with a spherical steel bearing, and the seismic control effect of a five-span standard high-speed railway bridge is investigated. The advantages of the proposed S-shaped steel damping friction bearing (SSDFB) are that it cannot only lengthen the structural periods, dissipate the seismic energy, but also prevent bridge unseating due to the restraint effectiveness of SSDs in the large relative displacements between the girders and piers. This study first presents a detailed description and working principle of the SSDFB. Then, mechanical modeling of the SSDFB was derived to fundamentally define its cyclic behavior and obtain key mechanical parameters. The numerical model of the SSDFB's critical component SSD was verified by comparing it with the experimental results. After that, parameter studies of the dimensions and number of SSDs, the friction coefficient, and the gap length of the SSDFBs were conducted. Finally, the longitudinal seismic responses of the bridge with SSDFBs were compared with the bridge with spherical bearing and spherical bearing with strengthened shear keys. The results showed that the SSDFB can not only significantly mitigate the shear force responses and residual displacement in bridge substructures but also can effectively reduce girder displacement and prevent bridge unseating, at a cost of inelastic deformation of the SSDs, which is easy to replace. In conclusion, the SSDFB is expected to be a cost-effective option with both multi-stage energy dissipation and restraint capacity, making it particularly suitable for seismic isolation application to high-speed railway bridges.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2023

Due to high application of concrete structures in construction industry, however, the quality improvement is essential. One of the new ways for this purpose is adding the nanoparticles to the concrete. In this work, vibration analysis of concrete beams reinforced by graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles based on mathematical model has been investigated. For the accuracy of the presented model, the experimental study is done for comparing the compressive strength. Since the nanoparticles can not be solved in water without any specific process, at the first, GO nanoparticles should be dispersed in water by using shaker, magnetic striker, ultrasonic devices and finally mechanical mixer. For modelling of the strucuture, sinusoidal shear deformation beam theory (SSDBT) is utilized. Mori-Tanak model model is utilized for obtaining the effective properties of the beam including agglomeration influences. Utilizing the energy method and Hamilton's principal, the motion equations are calculated. The frequency of the concrete beam is obtanied by analytical method. Three samples with 0.02% GO nanoparticles are built and its compressive strength is compared which shows a good accuracy with maximum 1.29% difference with mathematical model and other papers. The aim of this work from the theoretical study is investigating the effects of nanoparticles volume percentage and agglomeration, length and thickness of the beam on the frequency of the structure. The results show that the with enhancing the GO nanoparticles, the frequency is increased. For example, with enhancing the volume percent of GO nanoparticles from zero to 0.08%, the compressive strength is increased 48.91%. and 46.83%, respectively for two cases of with and without agglomeration.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.670-691
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• 2018

This study presents the research results of the BMT(Benchmark Model Test) simulations of the DECOVALEX-2019 project Task B. Task B named 'Fault slip modelling' is aiming at developing a numerical method to predict fault reactivation and the coupled hydro-mechanical behavior of fault. BMT scenario simulations of Task B were conducted to improve each numerical model of participating group by demonstrating the feasibility of reproducing the fault behavior induced by water injection. The BMT simulations consist of seven different conditions depending on injection pressure, fault properties and the hydro-mechanical coupling relations. TOUGH-FLAC simulator was used to reproduce the coupled hydro-mechanical process of fault slip. A coupling module to update the changes in hydrological properties and geometric features of the numerical mesh in the present study. We made modifications to the numerical model developed in Task B Step 1 to consider the changes in compressibility, Permeability and geometric features with hydraulic aperture of fault due to mechanical deformation. The effects of the storativity and transmissivity of the fault on the hydro-mechanical behavior such as the pressure distribution, injection rate, displacement and stress of the fault were examined, and the results of the previous step 1 simulation were updated using the modified numerical model. The simulation results indicate that the developed model can provide a reasonable prediction of the hydro-mechanical behavior related to fault reactivation. The numerical model will be enhanced by continuing interaction and collaboration with other research teams of DECOVALEX-2019 Task B and validated using the field experiment data in a further study.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.529-545
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• 2012

Three-dimensional (3D) finite element analyses have been performed to study the behaviour of a single pile to open face tunnelling in stiff clay. Several key factors such as tunnelling-induced ground and pile settlement, and shear transfer mechanism have been studied in detail. Tunnelling resulted in the development of pile settlement larger than the Greenfield soil surface settlement. In addition, due to changes in the shear transfer between the pile and the soil next to the pile with tunnel advancement, axial force distributions along the pile change drastically. The apparent allowable pile capacity was reduced up to about 30% due to the development of tunnelling-induced pile head settlement. The skin friction on the pile was increased with tunnel advancement associated with the changes of soil stresses and ground deformation and hence axial pile force distribution was reduced. Maximum tunnelling-induced tensile force on the pile was about 21% of the designed pile capacity. The zone of influence on the pile behaviour in the longitudinal direction may be identified as ${\pm}1$-2D (D: tunnel diameter) from the pile centre (behind and ahead of the pile axis in the longitudinal direction) based on the analysis conditions assumed in the current study. Negative excess pore pressure was mobilised near the pile tip, while positive excess pore pressure was computed at the upper part of the pile. It has been found that the serviceability of a pile experiencing adjacent tunnelling is more affected by pile settlement than axial pile force changes.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.480-490
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• 2016

As wind turbines become larger and lighter, they are likely to respond sensitively by dynamic loads applied on them. Since the responses at resonances are particularly interested, it is required to be able to predict natural frequencies of wind turbines reliably at early design stage. To achieve this, the foundation-soil analysis is needed to be carried out and a finite element approach is adopted in general. However, the finite element approach would not be appropriate in early design stage because it demands heavy efforts in pile-soil modelling and computing facilities. On the contrary, theoretical approaches adopting linear approximations for soils are relatively simple and easy to handle. Therefore, they would be a useful tool in predicting a pile-soil interaction, particularly in early design stage. In this study an analysis for a pile inserted in soil is performed. The pile and soil are modelled as a beam and continuum medium, respectively, within an elastic range. In this analysis, influence factors at the pile head for lateral loads are predicted by means of this continuum approach for various length-diameter ratios of the pile. The influence factors predicted are validated with those reported in literature, proposed from a finite element analysis.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.959-972
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• 2017

In evaluation of blast-induced vibration, peak particle velocity (PPV) is generally calculated by using attenuation relation curve. Calculated velocity is compared with the value in legal requirements or the standards to determine the stability. Attenuation relation curve varies depending on frequency of test blasting, geological structure of the site and blasting condition, so it is difficult to predict accurately using such an equation. Since PPV is response value from the ground, direct evaluation of the structure is impractical. Because of such a limit, engineers tend to use the commercial numerical analysis program in evaluating the stability of the structure more accurately. However, when simulate the explosion process using existing numerical analysis program, it's never easy to accurately simulate the complex conditions (fracture, crushing, cracks and plastic deformation) around blasting hole. For simulating such a process, the range for modelling will be limited due to the maximum node count and it requires extended calculation time as well. Thus, this study is intended to simulate the elastic energy after fractured zone only, instead of simulating the complex conditions of the rock that results from the blast, and the analysis of response characteristics of the velocity depending on shape and size of the fractured zone was conducted. As a result, difference in velocity and attenuation character were calculated depending on fractured zone around the blast source appeared. Propagation of vibration tended to spread spherically as it is distanced farther from the blast source.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.235-252
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• 2016

This study presents a methodology to reproduce the mechanical behavior of isotropic or transversely isotropic rock using the polygonal grain-based distinct element model. A numerical technique to monitor the evolution of micro-cracks during the simulation was developed in the present study, which enabled us to examine the contribution of tensile cracking and shear cracking to the progressive process of the failure. The numerical results demonstrated good agreement with general observations from rock specimens in terms of the behavior and the evolution of micro-cracks, suggesting the capability of the model to represent the mechanical behavior of rock. We also carried out a parametric study as a fundamental work to examine the relationships between the microscopic properties of the constituents and the macroscopic behavior of the model. Depending on the micro-properties, the model exhibited a variety of responses to the external load in terms of the strength and deformation characteristics. In addition, a numerical technique to reproduce the transversely isotropic rock was suggested and applied to Asan gneiss from Korea. The behavior of the numerical model was in good agreement with the results obtained in the laboratory-scale experiments of the rock.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.3367-3378
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• 2021

The design phase and safety assessment of Generation IV liquid metal-cooled fast reactors calls for the improvement of fuel pin performance codes, in particular the enhancement of their predictive capabilities towards uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuels and stainless-steel cladding under irradiation in fast reactor environments. To this end, the current capabilities of fuel performance codes must be critically assessed against experimental data from available irradiation experiments. This work is devoted to the assessment of three European fuel performance codes, namely GERMINAL, MACROS and TRANSURANUS, against the irradiation of two fuel pins selected from the SUPERFACT-1 experimental campaign. The pins are characterized by a low enrichment (~ 2 wt.%) of minor actinides (neptunium and americium) in the fuel, and by plutonium content and cladding material in line with design choices envisaged for liquid metal-cooled Generation IV reactor fuels. The predictions of the codes are compared to several experimental measurements, allowing the identification of the current code capabilities in predicting fuel restructuring, cladding deformation, redistribution of actinides and volatile fission products. The integral assessment against experimental data is complemented by a code-to-code benchmark focused on the evolution of quantities of engineering interest over time. The benchmark analysis points out the differences in the code predictions of fuel central temperature, fuel-cladding gap width, cladding outer radius, pin internal pressure and fission gas release and suggests potential modelling development paths towards an improved description of the fuel pin behaviour in fast reactor irradiation conditions.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.197-213
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• 2019

We simulated the fault reactivation experiment conducted at 'Main Fault' intersecting the low permeability clay formations of Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland using TOUGH-FLAC simulator. The fluid flow along a fault was modelled with solid elements and governed by Darcy's law with the cubic law in TOUGH2, whereas the mechanical behavior of a single fault was represented by creating interface elements between two separating rock blocks in FLAC3D. We formulate the hydro-mechanical coupling relation of hydraulic aperture to consider the elastic fracture opening and failure-induced dilation for reproducing the abrupt changes in injection flow rate and monitoring pressure at fracture opening pressure. A parametric study was conducted to examine the effects of in-situ stress condition and fault deformation and strength parameters and to find the optimal parameter set to reproduce the field observations. In the best matching simulation, the fracture opening pressure and variations of injection flow rate and monitoring pressure showed good agreement with field experiment results, which suggests the capability of the numerical model to reasonably capture the fracture opening and propagation process. The model overestimated the fault displacement in shear direction and the range of reactivated zone, which was attributed to the progressive shear failures along the fault at high injection pressure. In the field experiment results, however, fracture tensile opening seems the dominant mechanism affecting the hydraulic aperture increase.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.261-271
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• 2016

In the prediction of response of a pile in soil, numerical approaches such as a finite element method are generally applied due to complicate nonlinear behaviors of soils. However, the numerical methods based on the finite elements require heavy efforts in pile and soil modelling and also take long computing time. So their usage is limited especially in the early design stage in which principal dimensions and properties are not specified and tend to vary. On the contrary, theoretical approaches adopting linear approximations for soils are relatively simple and easy to model and take short computing time. Therefore, if they are validated to be reliable, they would be applicable in predicting responses of a pile in soil, particularly in early design stage. In case of wind turbines regarded in this study, it is required to assess their natural frequencies in early stages, and in this simulation the supporting pile inserted in soil could be replaced with a simplified elastic boundary condition at the bottom end of the wind turbine tower. To do this, analysis for a pile in soil is performed in this study to extract the spring constants at the top end of the pile. The pile in soil can be modelled as a beam on elastic spring by assuming that the soils deform within an elastic range. In this study, it is attempted to predict pile deformations and influence factors for lateral loads by means of the beam-on-spring model. As two example supporting structures for wind turbines, mono pile and suction pile models with different diameters are examined by evaluating their influence factors and validated by comparing them with those reported in literature. In addition, the deflection profiles along the depth and spring constants at the top end of the piles are compared to assess their supporting features.