• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.379-395
• /
• 2021

For the complicated structural details in ships and offshore structures, the traditional hotspot stress approaches are known to be sensitive to the element variables of element topologies, sizes, and integration schemes. This motivated to develop a new approach for predicting reasonable hotspot stresses, which is less sensitive to the element variables and easy to be implemented the real marine structures. The three-point bending tests were conducted for the longitudinal attachments with the round and rectangular weld toes. The tests were reproduced in the numerical simulations using the solid and shell element models, and the simulation technique was validated by comparing the experimental stresses with the simulated ones. This paper considered three hotspot stress approaches: the ESM method based on surface stress extrapolation, the Dong's method based on nodal forces along a weld toe, and the proposed method based on nodal forces perpendicular to an imaginary vertical plane at a weld toe. In order to study the element sensitivities of each method, 16 solid element models and 8 shell element models were generated under the bending and tension loads, respectively. The element sensitivity was analyzed in terms of Stress Concentration Factors (SCFs) in viewpoints of two statistical quantities of mean and bias with respect to the reference SCFs. The average SCFs predicted by the proposed method were remarkably in good agreement with the reference SCFs based on the experiments and the ship rules. Negligibly small Coefficients of Variation (CVs) of the SCFs, which is measure of statistical bias, were drawn by the proposed method.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.429-443
• /
• 2018

Fatigue is a principal failure mode for steel structures, and it is still less understood than any other modes of failure. Fatigue life estimation of metal bridges is a major issue for making cost effective decisions on the rehabilitation or replacement of existing infrastructure. The fatigue design procedures given by the standard codes are either empirical or based on nominal stress approach. Since the fatigue life estimation through field measurements is difficult and costly, more researches are needed to develop promising techniques in the fatigue analysis of bridges through Finite Element Analysis (FEA). This paper aims to develop a methodology for the Fatigue life estimation of railway steel bridge using FEA. The guidelines of IIW-1823-07 were used in the development of the methodology. The Finite Element (FE) package ANSYS and the programming software MATLAB were used to implement this methodology on an Indian Railway Standard (IRS) welded plate girder bridge. The results obtained were compared with results from published literature and found satisfactory.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.387-393
• /
• 2021

In this study, finite element analysis was performed to evaluate a method of increasing the fatigue life of the pipe connection structure commonly used in the topside structure of offshore platforms. MSC Patran/Nastran, a commercial analysis program, was used, and the critical structural model was selected from the global analysis. To realize the stress concentration phenomenon according to the load, modeling using 8-node solid elements was implemented. The main loads were considered to be two lateral loads and a tensile load on a diagonal pipe. To check the hotspot stress at the main location, a 0.01 mm dummy shell element was applied. After calculating the main stress at the 0.5-t and 1.5-t locations, the stress generated in the weld was estimated through extrapolation. In some sections, this stress was observed to be below the fatigue life that should be satisfied, and reinforcement was required. For reinforcement, a bracket was added to reduce the stress concentration factor where the fatigue life was insufficient without changing the thickness or diameter of the previously designed pipe. Regarding the tensile load, the stress in the bracket toe increased by 23 %, whereas the stress inside and outside of the pipe, which was a problem, decreased by approximately 8 %. Regarding the flexural load, the stress at the bracket toe increased by 3 %, whereas the stress inside and outside of the pipe, which was also a problem, decreased by approximately 48 %. Owing to the new bracket reinforcement, the stress in the bracket toe increased, but the S-N curve itself was better than that of the pipe joint, so it was not a significant problem. The improvement method of fatigue life is expected to be useful; it can efficiently increase the fatigue life while minimizing changes to the initial design.