• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.221-226
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• 2010

The failure of a Kevlar29/Phenolic composite plate under high-velocity impact from an fragment simulation projectile was investigated using the nonlinear explicit finite element code, LS-DYNA. The composite laminate and the impactor were idealized by solid elements, and the interface between the laminas was modeled as a tiebreak type in LS-DYNA. The interaction between the impactor and laminate was simulated using a surface-to-surface eroding contact algorithm. When the stress level meets the given failure criteria, the layer in the element is eroded. Numerical results were verified through existing test results and showed good agreement.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.701-721
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• 2016

Base isolation is a well-established passive strategy for seismic response control of buildings. In this paper, an efficient framework is proposed for reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) of isolated buildings subjected to uncertain earthquakes. The framework uses reduced function evaluations method, as an efficient tool for structural reliability analysis, and an efficient optimization algorithm for optimal structural design. The probability of failure is calculated considering excessive base displacement, superstructure inter-storey drifts, member stress ratios and absolute accelerations of floors of the isolated building as failure events. The behavior of rubber bearing isolators is modeled using nonlinear hysteretic model and the variability of future earthquakes is modeled by applying a probabilistic approach. The effects of pulse component of stochastic near-fault ground motions, fixity-factor of semi-rigid beam-to-column connections, values of isolator parameters, earthquake magnitude and epicentral distance on the performance and safety of semi-rigidly connected base-isolated steel framed buildings are studied. Suitable RBDO examples are solved to illustrate the results of investigations.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.203-220
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• 2013

The study of the tensile strength of composite materials is far more complex than analysis of the properties of elasticity and plasticity. Indeed, during mechanical loading, micro-cracks in the matrix, the fibers break, debonding of the interfaces are created. The failure process of composites is of great diversity and cannot be described if even we know: the strength criterion of each individual component, the state of stress and strain in the material, the propagation phenomena cracks in the structure and nature of the interface between the matrix and the reinforcement. This information is only partially known and the obtained by the analysis of a stress limit beyond which there is destruction of the material is almost impossible. To partially process the issue, a solution lies in a mesoscopic approach of seeking a law to locate the ultimate strength of the material for a plane stress state. Tests on rectangular plates in bending PEEK/APC2 and T300/914 three were made and this in order to validate our approach, the calculation has been implemented in a nonlinear finite element code (Castem 2000), in order to make comparison with the numerical results. The results show good agreement between numerical simulation and the two materials; however, it would be interesting to consider other phenomena in the criterion.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.217-234
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• 2016

In order to investigate mechanical properties and load-bearing capacity of T-shaped Concrete-Filled Square Steel Tubular (TCFST) composite columns under eccentric axial load, three T-shaped composite columns were tested under eccentric compression. Experimental results show that failure mode of the columns under eccentric compression was bending buckling of the whole specimen, and mono column performs flexural buckling. Specimens behaved good ductility and load-bearing capacity. Nonlinear finite element analysis was also employed in this investigation. The failure mode, the load-displacement curve and the ultimate bearing capacity of the finite element analysis are in good agreement with the experimental ones. Based on eccentric compression test and parametric finite element analysis, the calculation formula for the equivalent slenderness ratio was proposed and the bearing capacity of TCFST composite columns under eccentric compression was calculated. Results of theoretical calculation, parametric finite element analysis and eccentric compression experiment accord well with each other, which indicates that the theoretical calculation method of the bearing capacity is advisable.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.595-606
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• 2017

During their life span, post-tensioned concrete structures may be exposed to thermal loads. Therefore, there has been a growing interest in research on the advanced analysis and design of post-tensioned concrete slabs subjected to thermal loads. This paper investigates the structural behaviour of post-tensioned one-way spanning concrete slabs. A nonlinear finite element model for the analysis of post- tensioned unbonded and bonded concrete slabs at elevated temperatures was developed. The interface between the tendon and surrounding concrete was also modelled, allowing the tendon to retain its profile shape during the deformation of the slab. The load-deflection behaviour, load-force behaviour in the tendon, and the failure modes are presented. The numerical analysis was conducted by the finite element ANSYS software and was carried out on two different one-way concrete slabs chosen from literature. A parametric study was conducted to investigate the effect of several selected parameters on the overall behavior of post-tensioned one-way concrete slab. These parameters include the effect of tendon bonding, the effect of thermal loading and the effect of tendon profile. Comparison between uniform thermal loading and nonuniform thermal loading showed that restrained post tensioned slab with bottom surface hotter has smaller failure load capacity.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.199-204
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• 2014

Various heat-treated and surface coating methods are used to mitigate abrasion in sliding machine parts. The most cost effective of these methods involves hard coatings such as diamond-like carbon (DLC). DLC has various advantages, including a high level of hardness, low coefficient of friction, and low wear rate. In practice, a supporting layer is generally inserted between the DLC layer and the steel substrate to improve the load carrying capacity. In this study, an indentation and sliding contact problem involving a small, hard, spherical particle and a DLC-coated steel surface is modeled and analyzed using a nonlinear finite element code, MARC, to investigate the influence of the supporting layer thickness on the coating characteristics and the related coating failure mechanisms. The results show that the amount of plastic deformation and the maximum principal stress decrease with an increase in the supporting layer thickness. However, the probability of the high tensile stress within the coating layer causing a crack is greatly increased. Therefore, in the case of DLC coating with a supporting layer, fatigue wear can be another important cause of coating layer failure, together with the generally well-known abrasive wear.

• The Journal of Engineering Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2004

In this paper, influence of shear on the seismic performance and failure mode of reinforced concrete piers subjected to earthquake loading is investigated. Comparative study has been carried out for reinforced concrete column tests to verify the shear-axial interaction model presented in this paper. Comparison shows that predicted shear hysteretic response agrees well with the test results. Also conducted is a nonlinear time-history analysis of a reinforced concrete bridge damaged by the Kobe earthquake using the current development. Displacement response for piers reveals that maximum displacement is considerably increased due to the effect of shear coupled with axial force variation, which leads to overall stiffness degradation and period elongation. It is therefore concluded that the response considering both shear and axial force gives better explanation regarding the seismic damage evaluation of reinforced concrete bridge piers.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.65-77
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• 2006

This study reports the details of the finite element analysis of eleven shear critical partially prestressed concrete T-beams having steel fibers over partial or full depth. Prestressed concrete T-beams having a shear span to depth ratio of 2.65 and 1.59 and failing in the shear have been analyzed using 'ANSYS'. The 'ANSYS' model accounts for the nonlinear phenomenon, such as, bond-slip of longitudinal reinforcements, post-cracking tensile stiffness of the concrete, stress transfer across the cracked blocks of the concrete and load sustenance through the bridging of steel fibers at crack interface. The concrete is modeled using 'SOLID65'-eight-node brick element, which is capable of simulating the cracking and crushing behavior of brittle materials. The reinforcements such as deformed bars, prestressing wires and steel fibers have been modeled discretely using 'LINK8' - 3D spar element. The slip between the reinforcement (rebar, fibers) and the concrete has been modeled using a 'COMBIN39'-non-linear spring element connecting the nodes of the 'LINK8' element representing the reinforcement and nodes of the 'SOLID65' elements representing the concrete. The 'ANSYS' model correctly predicted the diagonal tension failure and shear compression failure of prestressed concrete beams observed in the experiment. The capability of the model to capture the critical crack regions, loads and deflections for various types of shear failures in prestressed concrete beam has been illustrated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.247-278
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• 2010

The study of the seismic vulnerability of masonry buildings requires structural properties of walls such as stiffness, ultimate load capacity, etc. In this article, a method is suggested for modeling the masonry walls under in-plane loading. At the outset, a set of analytical equations was established for determining the elastic properties of an equivalent homogeneous material of masonry. The results for homogenized unreinforced brick walls through detailed modeling were compared in different manners such as solid and perforated walls, in-plane and out-of-plane loading, etc, and it was found that this method provides suitable accuracy in estimation of the wall linear properties. Furthermore, comparison of the results of proposed modeling with experimental out coming indicated that this model considers the non linear properties of the wall such as failure pattern, performance curve and ultimate strength, and would be appropriate to establish a parametric study on those prone factors. The proposed model is complicated; therefore, efforts need to be made in order to overcome the convergency problems which will be included in this study. The nonlinear model is basically semi-macro but through a series of actions, it can be simplified to a macro model.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2009

In China, the oil and natural gas resources of Bohai Bay are mainly marginal oil fields. It is necessary to build both ice-resistant and economical offshore platforms. However, risk is involved in the design, construction, utilization, maintenance of offshore platforms as uncertain events may occur within the life-cycle of a platform under the extreme ice load. In this study, the optimum design model of the expected life-cycle cost for ice-resistant platforms based on cost-effectiveness criterion is proposed. Multiple performance demands of the structure, facilities and crew members, associated with the failure assessment criteria and evaluation functions of costs of construction, consequences of structural failure modes including damage, revenue loss, death and injury as well as discounting cost over time are considered. An efficient approximate method of the global reliability analysis for the offshore platforms is provided, which converts the implicit nonlinear performance function in the conventional reliability analysis to linear explicit one. The proposed life-cycle optimum design formula are applied to a typical ice-resistant platform in Bohai Bay, and the results demonstrate that the life-cycle cost-effective optimum design model is more rational compared to the conventional design.