• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.1143-1179
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• 2016

Offshore wind turbines are considered as a fundamental part to develop substantial, alternative energy sources. In this highly flexible structures, monopiles are usually used as support foundations. Since the monopiles are large diameter (3.5 to 7 m) deep foundations, they result in extremely stiff short monopiles where the slenderness (length to diameter) may range between 5 and 10. Consequently, their elastic deformation patterns under lateral loading differ from those of small diameter monopiles usually employed for supporting structures in offshore oil and gas industry. For this reason, design recommendations (API and DNV) are not appropriate for designing foundations for offshore wind turbine structures as they have been established on the basis of full-scale load tests on long, slender and flexible piles. Furthermore, as these facilities are very sensitive to rotations and dynamic changes in the soil-pile system, the accurate prediction of monopile head displacement and rotation constitutes a design criterion of paramount importance. In this paper, the Fourier Series Aided Finite Element Method (FSAFEM) is employed for the determination of static impedance functions of monopiles for OWT subjected to horizontal force and/or to an overturning moment, where a non-homogeneous soil profile has been considered. On the basis of an extensive parametric study, and in order to address the problem of head stiffness of short monopiles, approximate analytical formulae are obtained for lateral stiffness $K_L$, rotational stiffness $K_R$ and cross coupling stiffness $K_{LR}$ for both rough and smooth interfaces. Theses expressions which depend only on the values of the monopile slenderness $L/D_p$ rather than the relative soil/monopile rigidity $E_p/E_s$ usually found in the offshore platforms designing codes (DNV code for example) have been incorporated in the expressions of the OWT natural frequency of four wind farm sites. Excellent agreement has been found between the computed and the measured natural frequencies.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.263-271
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• 2020

In this study, we performed a three-dimensional (3D) topology optimization of a fixed offshore structure to enhance its structural stiffness. The proposed topology optimization is based on the solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) method, where a volume constraint is applied to utilize an equivalent amount of material as that used for the rule-based scantling design. To investigate the effects of the main legs of the fixed offshore structure on its structural stiffness, the leg region is selectively considered in the design domain of the topology optimization problem. The obtained optimal designs and the rule-based scantling design of the structure are manufactured by 3D metal printing technology to experimentally validate the topology optimization. The behaviors under compressive loading of the obtained optimal designs are compared with those of the rule-based scantling design using a universal testing machine (UTM). Based on the structural experiments, we concluded that by employing the topology optimization method, the structural stiffness of the structure was enhanced compared to that of the rule-based scantling design for an equal amount of the fabrication material. Furthermore, by effectively combining the topology optimization and rule-based scantling methods, we succeeded in enhancing the structural stiffness and improving the breaking load of the fixed offshore structure.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2003

The finite element method(FEM) is the most widely used and powerful method for structural analysis. In general, in order to analyze complex and large structures, we have used the FEM. However, it is necessary to use a large amount of computer memory and computation time for solving accurately by the FEM the dynamic problem of a system with many degree-of-freedom, because the FEM has to deal with very large matrices in this case. Therefore, it was very difficult to analyze the vibration for plate structures with a large number of degrees of freedom by the FEM on a personal computer. For overcoming this disadvantage of the FEM without the loss of the accuracy, the finite element-transfer stiffness coefficient method(FE-TSCM) was developed. The concept of the FE-TSCM is based on the combination of modeling technique in the FEM and the transfer technique in the transfer stiffness coefficient method(TSCM). The merit of the FE-TSCM is to take the advantages of both methods, that is, the convenience of the modeling in the FEM and the computation efficiency of the TSCM. In this paper, the forced vibration analysis algorithm of plate structures is formulated by the FE-TSCM. In order to illustrate the accuracy and the efficiency of the FE-TSCM, results of frequency response analysis for a rectangular plate, which was adopted as a computational model, were compared with those by the modal analysis method and the direct analysis method which are based on the FEM.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.8-14
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• 2013

In this study, we propose the method of optimally selecting material of front pillar (A-pillar) and package tray for minimizing weight while satisfying vehicle requirements on static stiffness and dynamic stiffness. First, we formulate a material selection optimization problem. Next, we establish the CAE procedure of evaluating static stiffness and dynamic stiffness. Then, to enhance the efficiency of design work, we integrate and automate the established CAE procedure using a commercial process integration and design optimization (PIDO) tool, PIAnO. For effective optimization, we adopt the approach of metamodel based approximate optimization. As a sampling method, an orthogonal array (OA) is used for selecting sampling points. The response values are evaluated at the sampling points and then these response values are used to generate a metamodel of each response using the radial basis function regression (RBFr). Using the RBFr models, optimization is carried out an evolutionary algorithm that can handle discrete design variables. Material optimization result reveals that the weight is reduced by 49.8% while satisfying all the design constraints.

• Bulletin of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1976

Using the computer programs for calculation of natural vibrations of ship's hull developed by the authors et al., an investigation into influences of various parameters on the accuracy of calculation was done through example calculations of a 30,000 DWT petroleum products carrier M/S Sweet Brier built by Korea Shipbuilding and Engineering Corporation. The methodical principles employed for the computer program development are as follows; (a) the ship system is reduced to an equivalent discrete elements system conforming to Myklestad-Prohl model, (b) the problem formulation is of transfer matrix method, and (c) to obtain solutions an extended $G\ddot{u}mbel's$ initial value method is introduced. The scope of the investigation is influences of number of discrete elements, choice of significant system parameters such as rotary inertia, bending stiffness and shear stiffness, and simplification of distributions of added mass and stiffness as trapezoidal ones referred to those of midship section on the calculation accuracy. From the investigation the followings are found out; (1) To obtain good results for the modes up to the seven-noded thirty or more divisions of the hull is desirable. For fundamental mode fifteen divisions may give fairly good results. (2) The influence of rotary inertia is negligibly small at least for the modes up to the 5- or 6- noded. (3) In the case of assuming either bending modes or shear modes the calculation results in considerably higher frequencies as compared with those based on Timoshenko beam theory. However, the calculation base on the slender beam theory surprisingly gives frequencies within 10% error for fundamental modes. (4) It is proved that to simplify distributions of added mass and stiffness as trapezoidal ones referred to those of midship section is a promising approach for the prediction of natural frequencies at preliminary design stage; provided good accumulation of data from similar type ships, we may expect to obtain natural frequencies within 5% error.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.267-278
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• 2022

Pre-stressed concrete circular spun piles are widely used in various infrastructure projects around the world and offer an economical deep foundation system with consistent and superior quality compared to cast in-situ and other concrete piles. Conventional methods for measuring the lateral response of piles have been limited to conventional instrumentation, such as electrical based gauges and pressure transducers. The problem with existing technology is that the sensors are not able to assist in recording the lateral stiffness changes of the pile which varies along the length depending on the distribution of the flexural moments and appearance of tensile cracks. This paper describes a full-scale bending test of a 1-m diameter spun pile of 30 m long and instrumented using advanced fibre optic distributed sensor, known as Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis (BOTDA). Optical fibre sensors were embedded inside the concrete during the manufacturing stage and attached on the concrete surface in order to measure the pile's full-length flexural behaviour under the prescribed serviceability and ultimate limit state. The relationship between moments-deflections and bending moments-curvatures are examined with respect to the lateral forces. Tensile cracks were measured and compared with the peak strains observed from BOTDA data which corroborated very well. By analysing the moment-curvature response of the pile, the structure can be represented by two bending stiffness parameters, namely the pre-yield (EI) and post-yield (EI_cr), where the cracks reduce the stiffness property by 89%. The pile deflection profile can be attained from optical fibre data through closed-form solutions, which generally matched with the displacements recorded by Linear Voltage Displacement Transducers (LVDTs).

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.237-248
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• 2022

Nowadays, more and more subway tunnels were planed and constructed underneath the ground of urban cities to relieve the congested traffic. Potential damage may occur in existing tunnel if the new tunnel is constructed too close. So far, previous studies mainly focused on the tunnel-tunnel interactions with circular shape. The difference between circular and horseshoe shaped tunnel in terms of deformation mechanism is not fully investigated. In this study, three-dimensional numerical parametric studies were carried out to explore the effect of different tunnel shapes on the complicated tunnel-tunnel interaction problem. Parameters considered include volume loss, tunnel stiffness and relative density. It is found that the value of volume loss play the most important role in the multi-tunnel interactions. For a typical condition in this study, the maximum invert settlement and gradient along longitudinal direction of horseshoe shaped tunnel was 50% and 96% larger than those in circular case, respectively. This is because of the larger vertical soil displacement underneath existing tunnel. Due to the discontinuous hoop axial stress in horseshoe shaped tunnel, significant shear stress was mobilized around the axillary angles. This resulted in substantial bending moment at the bottom plate and side walls of horseshoe shaped tunnel. Consequently, vertical elongation and horizontal compression in circular existing tunnel were 45% and 33% smaller than those in horseshoe case (at monitored section X/D = 0), which in latter case was mainly attributed to the bending induced deflection. The radial deformation stiffness of circular tunnel is more sensitive to the Young's modulus compared with horseshoe shaped tunnel. This is because of that circular tunnel resisted the radial deformation mainly by its hoop axial stress while horseshoe shaped tunnel do so mainly by its flexural rigidity. In addition, the reduction of soil stiffness beneath the circular tunnel was larger than that in horseshoe shaped tunnel at each level of relative density, indicating that large portion of tunneling effect were undertaken by the ground itself in circular tunnel case.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.305-321
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• 2020

In this paper is presented the solution method for three-dimensional problem of transversely isotropic body's elastoplastic deformation by the finite element method (FEM). The process of problem solution consists of: determining the effective parameters of a transversely isotropic medium; construction of the finite element mesh of the body configuration, including the determination of the local minimum value of the tape width of non-zero coefficients of equation systems by using of front method; constructing of the stiffness matrix coefficients and load vector node components of the equation for an individual finite element's state according to the theory of small elastoplastic deformations for a transversely isotropic medium; the formation of a resolving symmetric-tape system of equations by summing of all state equations coefficients summing of all finite elements; solution of the system of symmetric-tape equations systems by means of the square root method; calculation of the body's elastoplastic stress-strain state by performing the iterative process of the initial stress method. For each problem solution stage, effective computational algorithms have been developed that reduce computational operations number by modifying existing solution methods and taking into account the matrix coefficients structure. As an example it is given, the problem solution of fibrous composite straining in the form of a rectangle with a system of circular holes.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.78 no.5
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• pp.585-597
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• 2021

This paper presents a comparative study of analytical method, finite element method (FEM) and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) for analysis of a contact problem. The problem consists of a functionally graded (FG) layer resting on a half plane and pressed with distributed load from the top. Firstly, analytical solution of the problem is obtained by using theory of elasticity and integral transform techniques. The problem is reduced a system of integral equation in which the contact pressure are unknown functions. The numerical solution of the integral equation was carried out with Gauss-Jacobi integration formulation. Secondly, finite element model of the problem is constituted using ANSYS software and the two-dimensional analysis of the problem is carried out. The results show that contact areas and the contact stresses obtained from FEM provide boundary conditions of the problem as well as analytical results. Thirdly, the contact problem has been extended based on the MLP. The MLP with three-layer was used to calculate the contact distances. Material properties and loading states were created by giving examples of different values were used at the training and test stages of MLP. Program code was rewritten in C++. As a result, average deviation values such as 0.375 and 1.465 was obtained for FEM and MLP respectively. The contact areas and contact stresses obtained from FEM and MLP are very close to results obtained from analytical method. Finally, this study provides evidence that there is a good agreement between three methods and the stiffness parameters has an important effect on the contact stresses and contact areas.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.81-98
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• 1999

The influence of tunnelling on buildings has become an important issue in urban areas. The problem is an interactive one: not only do tunnelling settlements affect existing structures, but existing structures affect tunnel-induced soil movements. In order to examine the constraint of surface settlement and the degradation of building damage parameters, 3-dimensional elasto-plastic finite element analyses are peformed. Also, in this paper, the results of the parametric studies for the variations of the damage parameters due to the ground movements are presented by utilizing 2-dimensional elasto-plastic finite element models, totally 162 models. The width of a structure, its bending and axial stiffness, its position relative to the tunnel and the depth of tunnel are considered. The interaction is shown by reference to commonly-used building damage parameters, namely angular distortion, deflection ratio, maximum building settlements, maximum differential settlements and horizontal strain. By introducing relative stiffness parameters which combine the bending and axial stiffness of the structure with its width and stiffness of soil, design curves are established. These give a guide as to the likely modification of the greenfield settlement trough caused by a surface structure. They can be used to give initial estimates of likely building damage.