• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.529-547
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• 2011

This paper presents the global-local finite cover method (GL-FCM) that is capable of analyzing structures involving local heterogeneities and propagating cracks. The suggested method is composed of two techniques. One of them is the FCM, which is one of the PU-based generalized finite element methods, for the analysis of local cohesive crack growth. The mechanical behavior evaluated in local heterogeneous structures by the FCM is transferred to the overall (global) structure by the so-called mortar method. The other is a method of mesh superposition for hierarchical modeling, which enables us to evaluate the average stiffness by the analysis of local heterogeneous structures not subjected to crack propagation. Several numerical experiments are conducted to validate the accuracy of the proposed method. The capability and applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated in an illustrative numerical example, in which we predict the mechanical deterioration of a reinforced concrete (RC) structure, whose local regions are subjected to propagating cracks induced by reinforcement corrosion.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.247-279
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• 2018

This study aims to investigate the behavioral characteristics of the LWSCR (lazy-wave steel catenary riser) for a turret-moored FPSO (Floating Production Storage Offloading) by using fully-coupled hull-mooring-riser dynamic simulation program in time domain. In particular, the effects of initial geometric profile on the global performance and structural behavior are investigated in depth to have an insight for optimal design. In this regard, a systematic parametric study with varying the initial curvature of sag and arch bend and initial position of touch down point (TDP) is conducted for 100-yr wind-wave-current (WWC) hurricane condition. The FPSO motions, riser dynamics, constituent structural stress results, accumulated fatigue damage of the LWSCR are presented and analyzed to draw a general trend of the relationship between the LWSCR geometric parameters and the resulting dynamic/structural performance. According to this study, the initial curvature of the sag and arch bend plays an important role in absorbing transferred platform motions, while the position of TDP mainly affects the change of static-stress level.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.419-457
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• 2011

This study aims at understanding the characteristics of global economic models, which are widely used for climate change policy analysis. A literature review study was conducted in order to derive general features of top-down models such as CGE and bottom-up/hybrid models such as GTEM. Furthermore, a structural analysis was carried out by applying parameter and structural components from other models to a particular model to observe the potential differences in outcomes. Literature review shows that bottom-up or hybrid models generally have higher level of reduction potentials than top-down models in the long run. This contradicts the conclusion presented by IPCC, and raises the need for more rigorous investigation through structural analysis. Structural analysis of EPPA model indicates that the structural component of the energy sector in a particular model is the most influential factor in predicting baseline emissions and reduction potentials. This includes the structure among energy, capital, and labor inputs, and the substitution elasticities within the energy bundle. Technology bundle can establish the conclusions from literature review, and change in Armington elasticities do not significantly affect the outcome in aggregate.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2011.04a
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• pp.544-551
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• 2011

As the cargo tank size and configuration of Liquefied Natural Gas carriers(LNGC) grows in response to the global increase in demands for LNG and the necessities of its economical transportation, impact loading from sloshing may become one of the most important factors in the structural safety of LNG Cargo Containment Systems(CCS). The objective of this study is to demonstrate the procedure of the structural safety assessment of MARK III membrane type CCS under sloshing impact loading using local zooming analysis technique of LS-DYNA code.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.275-293
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• 2005

When a thin-walled multicell box girder is subjected to an eccentric load, the distortion becomes an important global response in addition to flexure and torsion. The three global responses appear in a combined form when a conventional shell element is used thus it is not an easy task to examine the three global responses separately. This study is to propose an analysis method using conventional shell element in which the three global responses can be separately decomposed. The force decomposition method which was designed for a single-cell box girder by Nakai and Yoo is expanded herein to multicell box girders. The eccentric load is decomposed in the expanded method into flexural, torsional, and multimode distortional forces by using the force equilibrium. From the force decomposition, the combined global responses of multicell box girders can be resolved into separate responses and the distortional response which is of primary concern herein can be obtained separately. It is shown from a series of extensive comparative studies using three box girder bridge models that the expanded method produces accurate decomposed results. Noting that the separate consideration of individual global response is of paramount importance for optimized multicell box girder design, it can be said that the proposed expanded method is extremely useful for practicing engineers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.67 no.2
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• pp.1-16
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate how consumer global-mindedness affects global fashion out-of-home (OOH) advertising which global consumer culture positioning applies, and to examine the relations among global fashion brand OOH advertising, perceived fashion brand globalness, perceived quality and brand reputation. Data were collected from 238 general people in 20~30s in seoul and were analyzed by using statistic methods such as frequency analysis, reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural d modelling by running both SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 7.0 program. The results of this study were as follows. First of all, it indicated that the fit indexes were satisfied and the overall model of this study showed a favorable goodness of it from the results of confirmatory analysis. Secondly, consumer global-mindedness had a positive impact on preference towards global fashion OOH advertising. Finally, preference towards global fashion brand OOH advertising positively affected perceived fashion brand globalness, perceived quality and fashion brand reputation. The results implies that it is necessary that fashion brands fully understand consumers' tendency and the benefits of marketing can be maximized through global positioning OOH advertising on subways which makes consumers recognize fashion brands as global ones.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.47-65
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• 2015

A novel finite element (FE) model updating method based on multi-resolution analysis (MRA) is proposed. The true stiffness of the FE model is considered as the superposition of two pieces of stiffness information of different resolutions: the pre-defined stiffness information and updating stiffness information. While the resolution of former is solely decided by the meshing density of the FE model, the resolution of latter is decided by the limited information obtained from the experiment. The latter resolution is considerably lower than the former. Second generation wavelet is adopted to describe the updating stiffness information in the framework of MRA. This updating stiffness in MRA is realized at low level of resolution, therefore, needs less number of updating parameters. The efficiency of the optimization process is thus enhanced. The proposed method is suitable for the identification of multiple irregular cracks and performs well in capturing the global features of the structural damage. After the global features are identified, a refinement process proposed in the paper can be carried out to improve the performance of the MRA of the updating information. The effectiveness of the method is verified by numerical simulations of a box girder and the experiment of a three-span continues pre-stressed concrete bridge. It is shown that the proposed method corresponds well to the global features of the structural damage and is stable against the perturbation of modal parameters and small variations of the damage.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.191-199
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• 2023

BACKGROUND: Assessment of left ventricular (LV) function plays a pivotal role in the management of patients with valvular heart disease, including those caused by rheumatic heart disease. Noninvasive LV pressure-strain loop analysis is emerging as a new echocardiographic method to evaluate global LV systolic function, integrating longitudinal strain by speckle-tracking analysis and noninvasively measured blood pressure to estimate myocardial work. The aim of this study was to characterize global LV myocardial work efficiency in patients with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) with preserved ejection fraction (EF). METHODS: We retrospectively included adult patients with severe rheumatic MS with preserved EF (> 50%) and sinus rhythm. Healthy individuals without structural heart disease were included as a control group. Global LV myocardial work efficiency was estimated with a proprietary algorithm from speckle-tracking strain analyses, as well as noninvasive blood pressure measurements. RESULTS: A total of 45 individuals with isolated severe rheumatic MS with sinus rhythm and 45 healthy individuals were included. In healthy individuals without structural heart disease, the mean global LV myocardial work efficiency was 96% (standard deviation [SD], 2), Compared with healthy individuals, median global LV myocardial work efficiency was significantly worse in MS patients (89%; SD, 4; p < 0.001) although the LVEF was similar. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with isolated severe rheumatic MS and preserved EF, had global LV myocardial work efficiencies lower than normal controls.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.145-171
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• 2015

Due to earthquakes, many structures suffered extensive damages that were attributed to the torsional effect caused by mass, stiffness or strength eccentricity. Due to this type of asymmetry torsional moments are generated that are imposed by means of additional shear forces developed at the vertical resisting structural elements of the buildings. Although the torsional effect on the response of reinforced concrete buildings was the subject of extensive research over the last decades, a quantitative index measuring the amplification of the shear forces developed at the vertical resisting elements due to lateral-torsional coupling valid for both elastic and elastoplastic response states is still missing. In this study a reliable index capable of assessing the torsional effect is proposed. The performance of the proposed index is evaluated and its correlation with structural response quantities like displacements, interstorey drift, base torque, shear forces and upper diaphragm's rotation is presented. Torsionally stiff, mass eccentric single-story and multistory structures, subjected to bidirectional excitation, are considered and nonlinear dynamic analyses are performed using natural records selected for three hazard levels. It was found that the proposed index provides reliable prediction of the magnitude of torsional effect for all test examples considered.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.501-522
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• 2017

This paper introduces a numerical procedure to incorporate elasto-plastic local deformation effects in the dynamic analysis of beams. The appealing feature is that simple beam type finite elements can be used for the global model which needs not to be altered by the localized elasto-plastic deformations. An overlapping local sophisticated 2D membrane model replaces the internal forces of the beam elements in the predefined region where the localized deformations take place. An iterative coupling technique is used to perform this replacement. Comparisons with full membrane analysis are provided in order to illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the method developed herein. In this study, the membrane formulation is able to capture the elasto-plastic material behaviour based on the von Misses yield criterion and the associated flow rule for plane stress. The Newmark time integration method is adopted for the step-by-step dynamic analysis.