• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.323-342
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• 2016

To study the effect of collar-plate reinforcement on the static strength of tubular T-joints under axial loading, fundamental research work is carried out from both experimental test and finite element (FE) simulation. Through experimental tests on 7 collar-plate reinforced and 7 corresponding un-reinforced tubular T-joints under axial loading, the reinforcing efficiency is investigated. Thereafter, the static strengths of the above 14 models are analyzed by using FE method, and it is found that the numerical results agree reasonably well with the experimental data to prove the accuracy of the presented FE model. Additionally, a parametric study is conducted to analyze the effect of some geometrical parameters, i.e., the brace-to-chord diameter ratio ${\beta}$, the chord diameter-to-chord wall thickness ratio $2{\gamma}$, collar-plate thickness to chord wall thickness ratio ${\tau}_c$, and collar-plate length to brace diameter ratio $l_c/d_1$, on the static strength of a tubular T-joint. The parametric study shows that the static strength can be greatly improved by increasing the collar-plate thickness to chord wall thickness ratio ${\tau}_c$ and the collar-plate length to brace diameter ratio $l_c/d_1$. Based on the numerical results, parametric equations are obtained from curving fitting technique to estimate the static strength of a tubular T-joint with collar-plate reinforcement under axial loading, and the accuracy of these equations is also evaluated from error analysis.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.1017-1029
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• 2016

When a welded circular hollow section (CHS) tubular joint is subjected to brace axial loading, failure position is located usually at the weld toe on the chord surface due to the weak flexural stiffness of the thin-walled chord. The failure mode is local yielding or buckling in most cases for a tubular joint subjected to axial load at the brace end. Especially when a cyclic axial load is applied, fracture failure at the weld toe may occur because both high stress concentration and welding residual stress along the brace/chord intersection cause the material in this region to become brittle. To improve the ductility as well as to increase the static strength, a tubular joint can be reinforced by increasing the chord thickness locally near the brace/chord intersection. Both experimental investigation and finite element analysis have been carried out to study the hysteretic behaviour of the reinforced tubular joint. In the experimental study, the hysteretic performance of two full-scale circular tubular T-joints subjected to cyclic load in the axial direction of the brace was investigated. The two specimens include a reinforced specimen by increasing the wall thickness of the chord locally at the brace/chord intersection and a corresponding un-reinforced specimen. The hysteretic loops are obtained from the measured load-displacement curves. Based on the hysteretic curves, it is found that the reinforced specimen is more ductile than the un-reinforced one because no fracture failure is observed after experiencing similar loading cycles. The area enclosed by the hysteretic curves of the reinforced specimen is much bigger, which shows that more energy can be dissipated by the reinforced specimen to indicate the advantage of the reinforcing method in resisting seismic action. Additionally, finite element analysis is carried out to study the effect of the thickness and the length of the reinforced chord segment on the hysteretic behaviour of CHS tubular T-joints. The optimized reinforcing method is recommended for design purposes.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.58-64
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• 2008

Large-scale tests of welded tubular K-joint sunder balanced in-plane bending braces were carried out to observe the fatigue behavior of the API 2W Gr.60 steel plate produced by POSCO. Toe grinding and weld profiling were used to improve the fatigue life of a tubular K-joint. The effects of the steel grade and chord wall thickness on the fatigue life were also investigated. The present results were compared with the UK DEn design curve.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.383-390
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• 2008

Flow pattern of cavitation around a plano-convex foil, whose shape is similar to the inducer impeller of the turbo-pumps in the liquid fuel rocket engine, was observed by using a cryogenic cavitation tunnel of blowdown type for visualization. Working fluids were liquid nitrogen and hot water. The parameter range to be varied was between 20 and 60mm for channel width, 20 and 60mm for foil chord, -1.8 and 13.2 for cavitation number, 3.7 and 19.5m/sec for averaged inlet velocity, $8.5{\times}10^4$ and $1.5{\times}10^6$ for Reynolds number, -8 and $8^{\circ}$ for angle of attack, respectively. Especially at positive angle of attack, namely, convex surface being downstream, the whole cavity or a part of the cavity on the foil surface departs periodically. Periodic cavitation occurs only in case of smaller cavitation size than twice foil chord. Cavitation thickness and length in 20mm wide channel are larger than those in 60mm due to the wall confinement effect. Therefore, periodic cavitation in 60mm wide channel easily occurs than that in 20mm. These results suggest that the periodic cavitation is controlled by not only the hydrodynamic effect of vortex shedding but also the channel wall confinement effect.