• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.73-93
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• 2012

With an active structural involvement in spiral case structure (SCS) that is always the design and research focus of hydroelectric power plant (HPP), the compressible membrane sandwiched between steel spiral case and surrounding reinforced concrete was often assumed to be linear elastic material in conventional design analysis of SCS. Unfortunately considerable previous studies have proved that the foam material serving as membrane exhibits essentially nonlinear mechanical behavior. In order to clarify the effect of membrane (foam) material's nonlinear stress-strain behavior on SCS, this work performed a case study on SCS with a compressible membrane using the ABAQUS code after a sound calibration of the employed constitutive model describing foam material. In view of the successful capture of fitted stress-strain curve of test by the FEM program, we recommend an application and dissemination of the simulation technique employed in this work for membrane material description to structural designers of SCS. Even more important, the case study argues that taking into account the nonlinear stress-strain response of membrane material in loading process is definitely essential. However, we hold it unnecessary to consider the membrane material's hysteresis and additionally, employment of nonlinear elastic model for membrane material description is adequate to the structural design of SCS. Understanding and accepting these concepts will help to analyze and predict the structural performance of SCS more accurately in design effort.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.215-223
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• 2005

Piezo-ceramics are special materials which transform energy from mechanical to electrical forms and vice versa. Bender elements are composite materials consisting of thin piezo-ceramics and elastic shims, and are widely used as actuators and transducers in the field of electronics, robotics, autos and mechatronics utilizing the effectiveness of energy transformation capability. In geotechnical engineering, commercial bender elements are used in laboratory as source and receiver in the measurements of soil stiffness. The elements were built by using various metal shims sandwiched between piezo-ceramics and coating over the composite in the research. A pair of elements were buried in a concrete block and used as source and receiver to measure the stiffness of the concrete. The test results were verified by comparing with the resonant column testing results. In a preliminary stage of the development of an in-situ seismic testing equipment using bender elements for soft clay materials, shear waves were generated and measured by burying the elements in the barrel of kaolinite and water mixture. The measured shear wave signals were so distinct for the first-arrival pick that applicability of the elements in the field measurements could be very promising.