• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.82 no.1
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• pp.107-120
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• 2022

The bracing members capable of active control against seismic loads to reduce earthquake damage have been widely utilized in construction projects. Effectively reducing the structural damage caused by earthquake events, bracing systems equipped with retrofitting damper devices, which take advantage of the energy dissipation and impact absorption, have been widely used in practical construction sites. Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are a new generation of smart materials with the capability of recovering their predefined shape after experiencing a large strain. This is mainly due to the shape memory effects and the superelasticity of SMA. These properties make SMA an excellent alternative to be used in passive, semi-active, and active control systems in civil engineering applications. In this research, a new system in diagonal braces with slit damper combined with SMA is investigated. The diagonal element under the effect of tensile and compressive force turns to shear force in the slit damper and creates tension in the SMA. Therefore, by creating shear forces in the damper, it leads to yield and increases the energy absorption capacity of the system. The purpose of using SMA, in addition to increasing the stiffness and strength of the system, is to create reversibility for the system. According to the results, the highest capacity is related to the case where the ratio of the width of the middle section to the width of the end section (b₁/b) is 1.0 and the ratio of the height of the middle part to the total height of the damper (h₁/h) is 0.1. This is mainly because in this case, the damper section has the highest cross-section. In contrast, the lowest capacity is related to the case where b₁/b=0.1 and the ratio h₁/h=0.8.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.5
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• pp.685-697
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• 2022

Nanotechnology has become one of the interesting technique used in material science and engineering. However, it is low used in civil engineering structures. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the static behavior of concrete plates reinforced with silica-nanoparticles. Due to agglomeration effect of silica-nanoparticles in concrete, Voigt's model is used for obtaining the equivalent nano-composite properties. Furthermore, the plate is simulated mathematically with higher order shear deformation theory. For a large use of this study, the concrete plate is assumed resting on a Pasternak elastic foundation, including a shear layer, and Winkler spring interconnected with a Kerr foundation. Using the principle of virtual work, the equilibrium equations are derived and by the mean of Hamilton's principle the energy equations are obtained. Finally, based on Navier's technique, closed-form solutions of simply supported plates have been obtained. Numerical results are presented considering the effect of different parameters such as volume percent of SiO₂ nanoparticles, mechanical loads, geometrical parameters, soil medium, on the static behavior of the plate. The most findings of this work indicate that the use of an optimum amount of SiO₂ nanoparticles on concretes increases better mechanical behavior. In addition, the elastic foundation has a significant impact on the bending of concrete slabs.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2023

Elastic bending of imperfect functionally graded sandwich plates (FGSPs) laying on the Winkler-Pasternak foundation and subjected to sinusoidal loads is analyzed. The analyses have been established using the quasi-3D sinusoidal shear deformation model. In this theory, the number of unknowns is condensed to only five unknowns using integral-undefined terms without requiring any correction shear factor. Moreover, the current constituent material properties of the middle layer is considered homogeneous and isotropic. But those of the top and bottom face sheets of the graded porous sandwich plate (FGSP) are supposed to vary regularly and continuously in the direction of thickness according to the trigonometric volume fraction's model. The corresponding equilibrium equations of FGSPs with simply supported edges are derived via the static version of the Hamilton's principle. The differential equations of the system are resolved via Navier's method for various schemes of FGSPs. The current study examine the impact of the material index, porosity, side-to-thickness ratio, aspect ratio, and the Winkler-Pasternak foundation on the displacements, axial and shear stresses of the sandwich structure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.87 no.2
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• pp.151-164
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• 2023

The latest earthquake's costly repairs and economic disruption were brought on by excessive residual drift. Self-centering systems are one of the most efficient ways in the current generation of seismic resistance system to get rid of and reduce residual drift. The mechanics and behavior of the self-centering system in response to seismic forces were impacted by a number of important factors. The amount of post-tensioning (PT) force, which is often employed for the standing posture after an earthquake, is the first important component. The energy dissipater element is another one that has a significant impact on how the self-centering system behaves. Using the damper as a replaceable and affordable tool and fuse in self-centering frames has been recommended to boost energy absorption and dampening of structural systems during earthquakes. In this research, the self-centering steel moment frame connections are equipped with cushion flexural dampers (CFDs) as an energy dissipator system to increase energy absorption, post-yielding stiffness, and ease replacement after an earthquake. Also, it has been carefully considered how to reduce permanent deformations in the self-centering steel moment frames exposed to seismic loads while maintaining adequate stiffness, strength, and ductility. After confirming the FE model's findings with an earlier experimental PT connection, the behavior of the self-centering connection using CFD has been surveyed in this study. The FE modeling takes into account strands preloading as well as geometric and material nonlinearities. In addition to contact and sliding phenomena, gap opening and closing actions are included in the models. According to the findings, self-centering moment-resisting frames (SF-MRF) combined with CFD enhance post-yielding stiffness and energy absorption with the least amount of permeant deformation in a certain CFD thickness. The obtained findings demonstrate that the effective energy dissipation ratio (β), is increased to 0.25% while also lowering the residual drift to less than 0.5%. Also, this enhancement in the self-centering connection with CFD's seismic performance was attained with a respectable moment capacity to beam plastic moment capacity ratio.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.11
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• pp.23-31
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• 2023

The escalating settlements observed in concrete slab tracks pose a significant challenge in Korea, raising concerns about their adverse impact on the safe operation of high-speed railways and the substantial costs involved in restoration. A primary contributor to these settlements is identified as the utilization of rock materials sourced from tunnel construction, incorporated into the lower subgrade without the requisite soil mixing to achieve an appropriate particle size distribution. This study employs numerical analysis to evaluate the efficacy of partial reinforcement in reducing settlements in rock-filled lower subgrades. Column-shaped reinforcement areas strategically positioned at regular intervals in the lower subgrade induce soil arching in the upper subgrade, leading to a concentration of soil loads on the reinforced areas and consequent settlement reduction. The analysis employs finite element methods to investigate the influence of the size, stiffness, and spacing of the reinforced areas on settlement reduction in the lower subgrade. The numerical results guide the formulation of an optimal design approach, proposing a method to determine the minimum spacing required for reinforcements to effectively limit settlements within acceptable bounds. This research contributes valuable insights into addressing the challenges associated with settlement in concrete slab tracks, offering a basis for informed decision-making in railway infrastructure management.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.17-26
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• 2024

Aircraft engines are exposed to high temperatures, high pressures, and stress caused by the rotation of the turbine shaft during flight. These loads can result in microcracks both on the inside and outside surfaces of the structure. Consequently, this can lead to structural defects and negatively impact the lifespan of the parts. To proactively prevent these defects, a finite element analysis is carried out to identify cracks. However, this process is time-consuming and requires significant effort due to the repetitive nature of crack modeling. This study aims to develop a crack modeling method based on the finite element model. To achieve this, the Constrained Delaunay Triangulation (CDT) technique is employed to triangulate the space while considering limitations on point connections. The effectiveness of this method is validated by comparing stress intensity factors for semi-elliptical cracks in plates and cylindrical vessels. This approach proves to be a valuable tool for crack analysis studies.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.149-162
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• 2024

Aiming at the current research on the dynamic response analysis of the vehicle-bridge system under earthquake, which fails to comprehensively consider the impact of seismic wave incidence angles, terrain effects and soil-structure dynamic interaction on the bridge structure, this paper proposes a multi-point excitation input method that can consider the oblique incidence seismic P Waves based on the viscous-spring artificial boundary theory, and verifies the accuracy and feasibility of the input method. An overall numerical model of vehicle-bridge-soil foundation system in valley terrain during oblique incidence of seismic P-wave is established, and the effects of seismic wave incidence characteristics, terrain effects, soil-structure dynamic interactions, and vehicle speeds on the dynamic response of the bridge are analyzed. The research results indicate that with an increase in P wave incident angle, the vertical dynamic response of the bridge structure decreased while the horizontal dynamic response increased significantly. Traditional design methods which neglect multi-point excitation would lead to an unsafe structure. The dynamic response of the bridge structure significantly increases at the ridge while weakening at the valley. The dynamic response of bridge structures under earthquake action does not always increase with increasing train speed, but reaches a maximum value at a certain speed. Ignoring soil-structure dynamic interaction would reduce the vertical dynamic response of the bridge piers. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the seismic design of vehicle-bridge systems in complex mountainous terrain under earthquake excitation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Geothermal and Hydrothermal Energy
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.8-17
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• 2023

The air temperature is gradually increasing owing to global warming, especially in summer, therefore, the performance of an air source heat pump (ASHP) is expected to be decreased. Accordingly, the performance gap between the ASHP and ground source heat pump (GSHP) should be increased, however, the quantitative comparison has not been yet investigated. In this study, impact of global warming on the performance of the ASHP and GSHP is investigated based on the climate data for 1930, 1980, and 2030. The coefficient of performance (COP) as well as annual power consumption of the ASHP and GSHP are compared and analyzed. In the case of COP, the COP of GSHP hardly changes over the years owing to the constant ground temperature, while that of ASHP decreases by 3.7% for cooling and increases by 0.71% for heating. In the case of annual power consumption, the cooling and heating power consumption of GSHP increases by 12.69% and decreases by 15.58%, respectively, over the year owing to the changes in heating and cooling loads. As for the ASHP, the cooling and heating power consumption increases by 16.64% and decreases by 17.8%, respectively. For a more accurate comparison, power consumption ratio is introduced and shows that total annual power consumption of the GSHP to ASHP decreased from 68% in 1930 to 65% in 2030. Therefore, as global warming accelerates, the effect of reducing power consumption by using GSHP compared to ASHP is expected to be increasing.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.323-334
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• 2024

This paper deals with the effect of non-linear volume fraction distribution of carbon nanotube in the FG-CNTRC beams on the critical buckling via a hyperbolic shear deformation theory. Here, different boundary condition was considered including hinged hinged, clamped clamped and clamped-free. Single-walled carbon nanotubes are aligned and distributed in the polymer matrix in different ways to reinforce it and the material properties of (CNTRC) beams are assumed to vary gradually along the thickness direction, following a new exponential power law distribution of (CNT). The effective material properties of nanocomposite beams are estimated using the rule of mixture. The governing equations of the mathematical models are obtained by applying Hamilton's principle. The results provided of mathematical models in this work are compared and validated with similar ones in the literature. The critical buckling loads of nanocomposite beams with different boundary conditions of linear and non-linear distribution of CNT volume fraction were obtained. The effects of several parameters, including the type of beam, the volume fraction of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), the exponent degree (n), and the aspect ratio, were investigated. The distribution non-linearity of CNT volume fraction in the beam has a significant impact on the mechanical properties, particularly in buckling behavior with different boundary conditions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.155-167
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• 2024

Identifying the location of earthquake-induced damage in buildings and mitigating its impact, especially in low-damage systems such as rocking frames, is a significant challenge for structural engineers. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the sensitivity and type of damage of buildings exposed to severe earthquakes to concentrate damage in predefined locations that can be repaired easily. This paper explores the seismic responses of a Self-Centering Rocking Steel Braced Frame (SCR-SBF) under far-field and near-field ground motions. This earthquake-resistant system includes components such as post-tensioning cables to provide frame self-centering, eliminate residual drift in the system, and replaceable fuses to concentrate the earthquake-induced damage. While previous studies have examined far and near-field earthquakes, their comparative influence on the seismic behavior of structures with a rocking system remains unexplored. This paper presents a novel investigation into the sensitivity of SCR-SBF structures to far and near-field earthquakes. Considering the critical effects of shock and impulse loads on rocking systems, the study aims to assess the effects of near-field earthquakes and compare them to far-field earthquakes on these systems. For this purpose, different response parameters have been calculated under records of far- and near-field earthquakes at three specific ground acceleration levels by incremental nonlinear dynamic analysis. Additionally, the seismic behavior of the SCR-SBF and Steel-Braced Frame (SBF) are compared for near and far-field ground motions. The results show that SCR-SBF systems have better resilience and reduced local failures compared to SBF systems under far and near-field earthquakes, requiring tailored design strategies.