• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.93-115
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• 2012

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the mechanical behaviour of extended end - plate steel connections including comparison with full size experiments. Contact and friction laws have been taken into account with nonlinear, three dimensional finite element analysis. Material and geometric nonlinearities have been implemented to the model, as well. Results are then compared with experimental tests conducted at the Jordan University of Science and Technology. According to the most significant observation of the analysis, a separation of the column flange from the extended end - plate occurs. Other important structural parameters of the connection, like the impact of some column stiffeners on the overall response, local buckling of the column and friction of the beam to column interface, have been examined as well.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.19-25
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• 2019

We have developed a tool that uses finite element analysis (FEA) to rapidly evaluate a shaft-bearing system of machine tools. We extracted commercial data on suitable clamping units and defined the inner profile of the shaft to avoid needing direct user input to define the profile. We use a splitting algorithm to convert the shaft into beam elements with two diameters and length. To validate the tool, we used it to design and evaluate a shaft-bearing system and found that our tool automated the construction of an FE system model in a commercial FEA package as well as the static stiffness evaluation; both tasks were completed in seconds, demonstrating a significant reduction from the minutes normally required to complete these tasks manually.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1243-1249
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• 2012

Finite element models are updated in two stages in this paper. In the first stage, damping is neglected, and mass and stiffness matrices of a finite element model are updated using an optimization technique. The objective function for optimization consists of natural frequencies and mode shapes obtained from experimental modal testing data and finite element analysis. In the second stage, damping is considered with the mass and stiffness matrices fixed. A damping matrix is estimated assuming a proportional damping system. Then the damping matrix is adjusted using an optimization process so that the difference between the analytical and measured frequency response functions becomes minimum. This procedure of model updating has been applied to a simulated system and an experimental cantilever beam.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.277-301
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• 1996

A finite element model of a beam element with flexible connections is used to investigate the effect of the randomness in the stiffness values on the modal properties of the structural system. The linear behavior of the connections is described by a set of random fixity factors. The element mass and stiffness matrices are function of these random parameters. The associated eigenvalue problem leads to eigenvalues and eigenvectors which are also random variables. A second order perturbation technique is used for the solution of this random eigenproblem. Closed form expressions for the 1st and 2nd order derivatives of the element matrices with respect to the fixity factors are presented. The mean and the variance of the eigenvalues and vibration modes are obtained in terms of these derivatives. Two numerical examples are presented and the results are validated with those obtained by a Monte-Carlo simulation. It is found that an almost linear statistical relation exists between the eigenproperties and the stiffness of the connections.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.2696-2707
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficiency of various structural modeling schemes for evaluating seismic performances and fragility of the reactor containment building (RCB) structure in the advanced power reactor 1400 (APR1400) nuclear power plant (NPP). Four structural modeling schemes, i.e. lumped-mass stick model (LMSM), solid-based finite element model (Solid FEM), multi-layer shell model (MLSM), and beam-truss model (BTM), are developed to simulate the seismic behaviors of the containment structure. A full three-dimensional finite element model (full 3D FEM) is additionally constructed to verify the previous numerical models. A set of input ground motions with response spectra matching to the US NRC 1.60 design spectrum is generated to perform linear and nonlinear time-history analyses. Floor response spectra (FRS) and floor displacements are obtained at the different elevations of the structure since they are critical outputs for evaluating the seismic vulnerability of RCB and secondary components. The results show that the difference in seismic responses between linear and nonlinear analyses gets larger as an earthquake intensity increases. It is observed that the linear analysis underestimates floor displacements while it overestimates floor accelerations. Moreover, a systematic assessment of the capability and efficiency of each structural model is presented thoroughly. MLSM can be an alternative approach to a full 3D FEM, which is complicated in modeling and extremely time-consuming in dynamic analyses. Specifically, BTM is recommended as the optimal model for evaluating the nonlinear seismic performance of NPP structures. Thereafter, linear and nonlinear BTM are employed in a series of time-history analyses to develop fragility curves of RCB for different damage states. It is shown that the linear analysis underestimates the probability of damage of RCB at a given earthquake intensity when compared to the nonlinear analysis. The nonlinear analysis approach is highly suggested for assessing the vulnerability of NPP structures.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.489-496
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• 2002

The lateral buckling of a laminated composite beam is studied. A general analytical model applicable to the lateral buckling of a composite beam subjected to various types of loadings is derived. This model is based on the classical lamination theory, and accounts for the material coupling for arbitrary laminate stacking sequence configuration and various boundary conditions. The effects of the location of applied loading on the buckling capacity are also included in the analysis. A displace-based one-dimensional finite element model is developed to predict critical loads and corresponding buckling modes for a thin-walled composite beam with arbitrary boundary conditions. Numerical results are obtained for thin-walled composites under central point load, uniformly distributed load, and pure bending with angle-ply and laminates. The effects of fiber orientation location of applied load, and types of loads on the critical buckling loads are parametrically studied.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.331-348
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• 2022

The main goal of this article is to develop the finite element formulation based on the nonlocal strain gradient and the refined higher-order deformation theory employing a new function f(z) to investigate the static bending and free vibration of functionally graded porous (FGP) nanobeams. The proposed model considers the simultaneous effects of two parameters: nonlocal and strain gradient coefficients. The nanobeam is made by FGP material that exists in un-even and logarithmic-uneven distribution. The governing equation of the nanobeam is established based on Hamilton's principle. The authors use a 2-node beam element, each node with 8 degrees of freedom (DOFs) approximated by the C¹ and C² continuous Hermit functions to obtain the elemental stiffness matrix and mass matrix. The accuracy of the proposed model is tested by comparison with the results of reputable published works. From here, the influences of the parameters: nonlocal elasticity, strain gradient, porosity, and boundary conditions are studied.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.30 no.4 s.247
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• pp.409-419
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• 2006

The actuating performance of plate-type unimorph piezoelectric composite actuators having various stacking sequences was evaluated by three dimensional finite element analysis on the basis of thermal analogy model. Thermal residual stress distribution at each layer in an asymmetrically laminated plate with PZT ceramic layer and thermally induced dome height were predicted using classical laminated plate theory. Thermal analogy model was applied to a bimorph cantilever beam and LIPCA-C2 actuator in order to confirm its validity. Finite element analysis considering thermal residual deformation showed that the bending behavior of piezoelectric composite actuator subjected to electric loads was significantly different according to the stacking sequence, thickness of constituent PZT ceramic and boundary conditions. In particular, the increase of thickness of PZT ceramic led to the increase of the bending stiffness of piezoelectric composite actuator but it did not always lead to the decrease of actuation distance according to the stacking sequences of piezoelectric composite actuator. Therefore, it is noted that the actuating performance of unimorph piezoelectric composite actuator is rather affected by bending stiffness than actuation distance.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.355-374
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• 2016

This paper presents and compares a one-dimensional (1D) bending theory for piezoelectric thin beam-type structures with resistive-inductive electrodes to ANSYS$^{(R)}$ three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) analysis. In particular, the lateral deflections and vibrations of slender piezoelectric beams are considered. The peculiarity of the piezoelectric beam model is the modeling of electrodes in such a manner that is does not fulfill the equipotential area condition. The case of ideal, perfectly conductive electrodes is a special case of our 1D model. Two-coupled partial differential equations are obtained for the lateral deflection and for the voltage distribution along the electrodes: the first one is an extended Bernoulli-Euler beam equation (second-order in time, forth order in space) and the second one the so-called Telegrapher's equation (second-order in time and space). Analytical results of our theory are validated by 3D electromechanically coupled FE simulations with ANSYS$^{(R)}$. A clamped-hinged beam is considered with various types of electrodes for the piezoelectric layers, which can be either resistive and/or inductive. A natural frequency analysis as well as quasi-static and dynamic simulations are performed. A good agreement between the extended beam theory and the FE results is found. Finally, the practical relevance of this type of electrodes is shown. It is found that the damping capability of properly tuned resistive or resistive-inductive electrodes exceeds the damping performance of beams, where the electrodes are simply linked to an optimized impedance.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.593-605
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• 2018

A nonlinear finite element modeling approach is developed to assess the behavior of a dowel bar embedded on a single concrete block substrate, subjected to monotonic loading. In this approach, a discrete representation of the steel reinforcing bar is considered, using beam finite elements with nonlinear material behavior. The bar is connected to the concrete embedment through nonlinear Winkler spring elements. This modeling approach can only be used if a new constitutive model is developed for the spring elements, to simulate the deformability and strength of the concrete substrate. To define this constitutive model, an extensive literature review was conducted, as well as 3 experimental tests, in order to select the experimental data which can be used in the calibration of the model. Based on this data, an empirical model was established to predict the global dowel response, for a wide range of bar diameters and concrete strengths. This empirical model provided the information needed for calibration of the nonlinear Winkler spring model, valid for dowel displacements up to 4 mm. This new constitutive model is composed by 5 stages, in order to reproduce the concrete substrate response.