• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.759-768
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• 2004

The torsion of a penny-shaped crack in a transversely isotropic strip is investigated in this paper. The shear moduli are functionally graded in such a way that the mathematics is tractable. Hankel transform is used to reduce the problem to solving a Fredholm integral equation. The crack tip stress field is obtained by taking the asymptotic behavior of Bessel function into account. The effects of material property parameters and geometry criterion on the stress intensity factor are investigated. Numerical results show that increasing the shear moduli's gradient and/or increasing the shear modulus in a direction perpendicular to the crack surface can suppress crack initiation and growth, and that the stress intensity factor varies little with the increasing of the strip's height.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.343-361
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• 2010

The Discrete Element Method adopting particles for the domain discretization has recently been adopted in fracture studies of non-homogeneous continuous media such as concrete and rock. A model is proposed in which the reinforcement is modelled by 1D rigid-spring discrete elements. The rigid bars interact with the rigid circular particles that simulate the concrete through contact interfaces. The DEM enhanced model with reinforcement capabilities is evaluated using three point bending and four point bending tests on reinforced concrete beams without stirrups. Under three point bending, the model is shown to reproduce the expected final crack pattern, the crack propagation and the load displacement diagram. Under four point bending, the model is shown to match the experimental ultimate load, the size effect and the crack propagation and localization.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.465-481
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• 2015

Three-dimensional simulation of flow through dam foundation is performed using finite element (Seep3D model) and artificial neural network (ANN) models. The governing and discretized equation for seepage is obtained using the Galerkin method in heterogeneous and anisotropic porous media. The ANN is a feedforward four layer network employing the sigmoid function as an activator and the back-propagation algorithm for the network learning, using the water level elevations of the upstream and downstream of the dam, as input variables and the piezometric heads as the target outputs. The obtained results are compared with the piezometric data of Shahid Abbaspour's Dam. Both calculated data show a good agreement with available measurements that demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of purposed methods.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.157-166
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• 2007

The paper considers a theoretical model to study sulfate ion diffusion in saturated porous media - cement based mineral composites, accounting for simultaneous effects, such as filling micro-capillaries (pores) with ions and chemical products and liquid push out of them. Pore volume change and its effect on the distribution of ion concentration within the specimen are investigated. Relations for the distribution of the capillary relative radius and volume within the composite under consideration are found. The numerical algorithm used is further completed to consider capillary size change and the effects accompanying sulfate ion diffusion. Ion distribution within the cross section and volume of specimens fabricated from mineral composites is numerically studied, accounting for the change of material capillary size and volume. Characteristic cases of 2D and 3D diffusion are analyzed. The results found can be used to both assess the sulfate corrosion in saturated systems and predict changes occurring in the pore structure of the composite as a result of sulfate ion diffusion.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.263-282
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• 2016

Contaminant transport in groundwater induces major threat and harmful effect on the environment; hence, the fate of the contaminant migration in groundwater is seeking a lot of attention. In this paper a two dimensional numerical flow and transport model through saturated layered soil is developed. Groundwater flow and solute transport has been simulated numerically using proposed model. The model implements the finite volume time splitting method to discretize the main equations. The performance, accuracy and efficiency of the out coming numerical models have been successfully examined by two test cases. The verification test cases consist of two-dimensional, groundwater flow and solute transport. The final purpose of this paper is to discuss and compare the shape of contaminant plume in homogeneous and heterogeneous media with different soil properties and control of solute transport using a zone for minimizing the potential of groundwater contamination; furthermore, this model leads to select the effective and optimum remedial strategies for cleaning the contaminated aquifers.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.171-182
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• 2013

The alternating current (AC) conductivity in semiconductor crystals with an open-core screw dislocation is studied in the current work. The screw dislocation in crystalline media results in an effective potential field which affects the electronic transport properties of the system. Therefore, from a technological view point, it is interesting to investigate properties of AC conductivity at frequencies of a few terahertz. To quantify the screw-induced potential effect, we calculated the AC conductivity of dislocated crystals using the Kubo formula. The conductivity showed peaks within the terahertz frequency region, where the amplitude of the AC conductivity was large enough to be measured in experiments. The measurable conductivity peaks did not arise in dislocation-free crystals threaded by a magnetic flux tube. These results imply different conductivity mechanisms in crystals with a screw dislocation than those threaded by a magnetic flux tube, despite the apparent similarity in their electronic eigenstates.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.117-135
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• 2009

The reflection and transmission of micropolar thermoelastic plane waves at the interface between an elastic solid and micropolar generalized thermoelastic solid is discussed. The interface boundary conditions obtained contain interface stiffness (normal stiffness and transverse stiffness). The expressions for the reflection and transmission coefficients which are the ratios of the amplitudes of reflected and transmitted waves to the amplitude of incident waves are obtained for normal force stiffness, transverse force stiffness and welded contact. Numerical calculations have been performed for amplitude ratios of various reflected and transmitted waves. The variations of amplitude ratios with angle of incident wave have been depicted graphically. It is found that the amplitude ratios of reflected and transmitted waves are affected by the stiffness, micropolarity and thermal distribution of the media.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.105-109
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• 2020

The authors address the problem of ameliorating or updating existing educational buildings. This building typology is quite sensitive to social and media pressure, mainly when accidents have occurred nearby. When a building is classified as unsatisfactory, the current code requirements oblige one to re-design the building with significant penalty factors in the resistance values. Often the only solution is to destroy the existing facility and to build a new one. When attempting to preserve the existing building, higher levels of safety are demanded by the society and this can only be achieved by innovative system architectures. The authors propose and discuss a prototype that can be easily adopted to retrofit small educational buildings as the ones common in small municipalities. The higher performance is pursued by a special design of the control scheme, with new control devices and special control laws.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.3 no.3_4
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• pp.495-506
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• 2012

An elasto-dynamic model for pile-soil-pile interaction together with a simple plate model is used in this study to assess the effect of flexible foundation slabs on the dynamic response of pile groups. To this end, different pile configurations with various slab thicknessesare considered in two soil media with low and high elastic moduli. The analyses include dynamic impedances and seismic responses of pile-group foundations. The presented results indicate that the stiffness and damping of pile foundations increase with thickness of the foundation slab; however, the results approach those for rigid slab as the slab thickness approaches twice the pile diameter for the cases considered in this study. The results also reveal that pile foundations with flexible slabs may amplify the earthquake motions by as much as 10 percent in the low to intermediate frequency ranges.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.3 no.6
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• pp.783-804
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• 2012

Because of its large contribution to the environmental instability of the planet, the building industry will soon be subjected to a worldwide scrutiny. As a consequence, all professionals involved in the building industry will need to create a professional media in which their daily work adequately solves the technical issues involved in the conception, design and construction of concrete and steel buildings, and simultaneously convey care for the environment. This paper discusses, from the point of view of a structural engineer involved in earthquake-resistant design, some of the measures that can be taken to promote the consolidation of a building industry that is capable of actively contributing to the sustainable development of the world.