• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 2017

This paper presents an explicit analytical iteration method for form-finding analysis of suspension bridges. By extending the conventional analytical form-finding method predicated on the elastic catenary theory, two nonlinear governing equations are derived for calculating the accurate unstrained lengths of the entire cable systems both the main cable and the hangers. And for the gradient-based iteration method, the derivation of explicit calculation for the Jacobian matrix while solving the nonlinear governing equation enhances the computational efficiency. The results from sensitivity analysis show well performance of the explicit Jacobian matrix compared with the traditional finite difference method. According to two numerical examples of long span suspension bridges studied, the proposed method is also compared with those reported approaches or the fundamental criterions in suspension bridge structural analysis, which eventually confirms the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed approach.

• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.64-71
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• 2002

Recently, mechanical systems such as a high-speed vehicles and railway trains moving on flexible beam structures have become a very important issue to consider. Using the general approach proposed in the first part of this paper, it is possible to predict motion of the constrained mechanical system and the elastic structure, with various kinds of foundation supporting conditions. Combined differential-algebraic equation of motion derived from both multibody dynamics theory and finite element method can be analyzed numerically using a generalized coordinate partitioning algorithm. To verify the validity of this approach, results from the simply supported elastic beam subjected to a moving load are compared with the exact solution from a reference. Finally, parametric study is conducted for a moving vehicle model on a simply supported 3-span bridge.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.737-749
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• 2009

The problem of estimating the dynamic response of a distributed parameter system excited by a moving vehicle with random initial velocity and random vehicle body mass is investigated. By adopting the Galerkin's method and modal analysis, a set of approximate governing equations of motion possessing time-dependent uncertain coefficients and forcing function is obtained, and then the dynamic response of the coupled system can be calculated in deterministic sense. The statistical characteristics of the responses of the system are computed by using improved perturbation approach with respect to mean value. This method is simple and useful to gather the stochastic structural response due to the vehicle-passenger-bridge interaction. Furthermore, some of the statistical numerical results calculated from the perturbation technique are checked by Monte Carlo simulation.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.129-137
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• 1999

Assessment of structural damage is a complex subject imbued with uncertainty and vagueness. This complexity arises from the use of subjective opinion and imprecise numerical data. Recently several active researches have been performed using new methods such as neural network approach or on-line damage detection. In this paper, Damage assessment (diagnosis) of the concrete bridges is studied by a new approach utilizing a neural fuzzy system that combined a neural network and a fuzzy logic. By applying this system to actual in-service bridges, it has been verified that the neural fuzzy method is effective for the bridge diagnosis.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.275-293
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• 2006

For health monitoring purpose usually the structure is instrumented with a large scale and multichannel measurement system. In case of highway bridges, operating vehicle could be utilized to reduce the number of measuring devices. First this paper presents a static damage detection algorithm of using operating vehicle load. The technique has been validated by finite element simulation and simple laboratory test. Next the paper presents an approach of using this technique to field application. Here operating vehicle load data has been used by instrumenting the bridge at single location. This approach gives an upper hand to other sophisticated global damage detection methods since it has the potential of reducing the measuring points and devices. It also avoids the application of artificial loading and interruption of any traffic flow.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.191-196
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• 2005

In this study, to describe vehicle-track-bridge dynamic interaction phenomena with 1/4 vehicle model, nonlinear Hertzian contact spring and nonlinear contact damper are introduced. In this approach external loads acting on 1/4 vehicle model are self weight of vehicle and geometry information of running surface. The constraint equation on contact surface is implemented by Penalty method. Also, to improve the numerical stability and to maintain accuracy of solution, the artificial damper and the reaction from constraint violation are introduced. A nonlinear time integration method, in this study, Newmark method is adopted for both equations of vehicles and structure. And to reduce the error caused by inadequate time step size, adaptive time-stepping technique is partially introduced. As the nonlinear Hertzian contact spring has no resistance to tensile force, the bouncing phenomena of wheelset can be described. Thus, it is expected that more versatile dynamic interaction phenomena can be described by this approach and it can be applied to various railway dynamic problems.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.241-258
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• 2008

This paper presents a new identification approach to prestress force. Firstly, a bridge deck is modeled as a prestressed Timoshenko beam. The time domain responses of the beam under sinusoidal excitation are studied based on modal superposition. The prestress force is then identified in the time domain by a system identification approach incorporating with the regularization of the solution. The orthogonal polynomial function is used to improve the noise effect and obtain the derivatives of modal responses of the bridge. Good identification results are obtained from only the first few measured modal data under both sinusoidal and impulsive excitations. It is shown that the proposed method is insensitive to the magnitude of force to be identified and can be successfully applied to indirectly identify the prestress force as well as other physical parameters, such as the flexural rigidity and shearing rigidity of a beam even under noisy environment.

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

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2002.03a
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• pp.250-257
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• 2002

Pseudo dynamic test is an on-line computer control method to achieve the realism of shaking table test with the economy and versatility of the conventional quasi-static approach Pseudo dynamic tests of six full-size RC bridge piers have been carried out to investigate their seismic performance. For the purpose of precise evaluation, the experimental investigation was conducted to study the seismic performance of the real size specimen, which is constructed for highway bridge piers in Korean peninsula. Since it is believed that Korea belongs to the moderate seismicity region, five test specimens were designed in accordance with limited ductility design concept. Another one test specimen was nonseismically designed according to a conventional code. Important test parameters were transverse reinforcement and lap splicing. Lap splicing was frequently used in the plastic hinge region of many bridge columns. Furthermore, the seismic design code is not present about lap splice in Korean Roadway Bridge Design Code. The results show that specimens designed according to the limited ductility design concept exhibit higher seismic resistance. Specimens with longitudinal steel lap splice in the plastic hinge region appeared to significantly fail at low ductility level.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.165-176
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• 2012

The aim of this study is to assess the seismic performance of hollow reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete bridge columns, and to provide data for developing improved seismic design criteria. By using a sophisticated nonlinear finite element analysis program, the accuracy and objectivity of the assessment process can be enhanced. A computer program, RCAHEST (Reinforced Concrete Analysis in Higher Evaluation System Technology), is used to analyze reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete structures. Tensile, compressive and shear models of cracked concrete and models of reinforcing and prestressing steel were used to account for the material nonlinearity of reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete. The smeared crack approach was incorporated. The proposed numerical method for the seismic performance assessment of hollow reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete bridge columns is verified by comparing it with the reliable experimental results. Additionally, the studies and discussions presented in this investigation provide an insight into the key behavioral aspects of hollow reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete bridge columns.