• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.513-531
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• 2018

In this article, static, buckling and free vibration analyses of a sinusoidal micro composite beam reinforced by single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with considering temperature-dependent material properties embedded in an elastic medium in the presence of magnetic field under transverse uniform load are presented. This system is used at micro or sub micro scales to enhance the stiffness of micro composite structures such as bar, beam, plate and shell. In the present work, the size dependent effects based on surface stress effect and modified strain gradient theory (MSGT) are considered. The generalized rule of mixture is employed to predict temperature-dependent mechanical and thermal properties of micro composite beam. Then, the governing equations of motions are derived using Hamilton's principle and energy method. Numerical results are presented to investigate the influences of material length scale parameters, elastic foundation, composite fiber angle, magnetic intensity, temperature changes and carbon nanotubes volume fraction on the bending, buckling and free vibration behaviors of micro composite beam. There is a good agreement between the obtained results by this research and the literature results. The obtained results of this study demonstrate that the magnetic intensity, temperature changes, and two parameters elastic foundations have important effects on micro composite stiffness, while the magnetic field has greater effects on the bending, buckling and free vibration responses of micro composite beams. Moreover, it is shown that the effects of surface layers are important, and observed that the changes of carbon nanotubes volume fraction, beam length-to-thickness ratio and material length scale parameter have noticeable effects on the maximum deflection, critical buckling load and natural frequencies of micro composite beams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.483-492
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• 2019

In the current study, the influence of the initial lateral (sweep) shape and the cross-sectional twist imperfection on the lateral torsional buckling (LTB) response of doubly-symmetric steel I-beams was investigated. The material imperfection (residual stress) was not considered. For this objective, standard European IPN 300 beam with different unbraced span was numerically analyzed for three imperfection cases: (i) no sweep and no twist (perfect); (ii) three different shapes of global sweep (half-sine, full-sine and full-parabola between the end supports); and (iii) the combination of three different sweeps with initial sinusoidal twist along the beam. The first comparison was done between the results of numerical analyses (FEM) and both a theoretical solution and the code lateral torsional buckling formulations (EC3 and AISC-LRFD). These results with no imperfection effects were then separately compared with three different shapes of global sweep and the presence of initial twist in these sweep shapes. Besides, the effects of the shapes of initial global sweep and the inclusion of sinusoidal twist on the critical buckling load of the beams were investigated to unveil which parameter was considerably effective on LTB response. The most compatible outcomes for the perfect beams was obtained from the AISC-LRFD formulation; however, the EC-3 formulation estimated the $P_{cr}$ load conservatively. The high difference from the EC-3 formulation was predicted to directly originate from the initial imperfection reduction factor and high safety factor in its formulation. Due to no consideration of geometric imperfection in the AISC-LFRD code solution and the theoretical formulation, the need to develop a practical imperfection reduction factor for AISC-LRFD and theoretical formulation was underlined. Initial imperfections were obtained to be more influential on the buckling load, as the unbraced length of a beam approached to the elastic limit unbraced length ($L_r$). Mode-compatible initial imperfection shapes should be taken into account in the design and analysis stages of the I-beam to properly estimate the geometric imperfection influence on the $P_{cr}$ load. Sweep and sweep-twist imperfections led to 10% and 15% decrease in the $P_{cr}$ load, respectively, thus; well-estimated sweep and twist imperfections should considered in the LTB of doubly-symmetric steel I-beams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.729-747
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• 2022

The critical buckling loads and buckling modes of bi-directional functionally graded porous unified higher order shear plate with elastic foundation are investigated. A mathematical model based on neutral axis rather than midplane is developed in comprehensive way for the first time in this article. The material constituents form ceramic and metal are graded through thickness and axial direction by the power function distribution. The voids and cavities inside the material are proposed by three different porosity models through the thickness of plate. The constitutive parameters and force resultants are evaluated relative to the neutral axis. Unified higher order shear plate theories are used to satisfy the zero-shear strain/stress at the top and bottom surfaces. The governing equilibrium equations of bi-directional functionally graded porous unified plate (BDFGPUP) are derived by Hamilton's principle. The equilibrium equations in the form of coupled variable coefficients partial differential equations is solved by using numerical differential integral quadrature method (DIQM). The validation of the present model is presented and compared with previous works for bucking. Deviation in buckling loads for both mid-plane and neutral plane are developed and discussed. The numerical results prove that the shear functions, distribution indices, boundary conditions, elastic foundation and porosity type have significant influence on buckling stability of BDFGPUP. The current mathematical model may be used in design and analysis of BDFGPU used in nuclear, mechanical, aerospace, and naval application.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.75-82
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• 2007

This paper addresses a method for shape optimization of a continuous elastic body considering stability, i.e., buckling behavior. The sensitivity formula for critical load is analytically derived and expressed in terms of shape variation, based on the continuum formulation of the stability problem. Unlike the conventional finite difference method (FDM), this method is efficient in that only a couple of analyses are required regardless of the number of design parameters. Commercial software such as ANSYS can be employed since the method requires only the result of the analysis in computation of the sensitivity. Though the buckling problem is more efficiently solved by structural elements such as a beam and shell, elastic solids have been chosen for the buckling analysis because solid elements can generally be used for any kind of structure whether it is thick or thin. Sensitivity is then computed by using the mathematical package MATLAB with the initial stress and buckling analysis of ANSYS. Several problems we chosen in order to illustrate the efficiency of the presented method. They are applied to the shape optimization problems to minimize weight under allowed critical loads and to maximize critical loads under same volume.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.387-405
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• 2018

A novel higher shear deformation theory (HSDT) is proposed for the bending, buckling and free vibration investigations of isotropic and functionally graded (FG) sandwich plates. It contains only four variables, which is even less than the first shear deformation theory (FSDT) and the conventional HSDTs. The model accounts for a parabolic variation of transverse shear stress, respects the traction free boundary conditions and contrary to the conventional HSDTs, the present one presents a novel displacement field which incorporates undetermined integral terms. Equations of motion determined in this work are applied for three types of FG structures: FG plates, sandwich plates with FG core and sandwich plates with FG faces. Analytical solutions are given to predict the transverse displacements, stresses, critical buckling forces and natural frequencies of simply supported plates and a comparison study is carried out to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed model.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.47-56
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• 2012

This paper describes the structural design and optimization of sinusoidally corrugated web girder by using EUROCODE (EN 1993-1-5). The optimum design methodology and characteristics of the optimal cross-section are discussed. We investigate a shear buckling and the concerned standards for corrugated web and explain the equations to obtain a critical stress according to buckling type. In order to perform optimization, we consider an objective function as minimum weight of the girder and use the constraint functions as slenderness ratio and stresses of flanges as well as corrugated web and deflection. Genetic Algorithm is adopted to search a global optimum solution for this mathematical model. For numerical example, the clamped girder under the concentrated load is considered, while the optimum cross-sectional area and design variables are analyzed. From the results of the adopted example, the optimum design program of the sinusoidally corrugated web girder is able to find the suitable solution which satisfied a condition subject to constraint functions. The optimum design shows the tendency to decrease the cross-sectional area with the yielding strength increase and increase the areas with load increase. Moreover, the corrugated web thickness shows a stable increase concerning the load.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.661-678
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• 2015

Buckling Restrained Braces (BRB) have been widely used in the construction industry as they utilize the most desirable properties of both constituent materials, i.e., steel and concrete. They present excellent structural qualities such as high load bearing capacity, ductility, energy-absorption capability and good structural fire behaviour. The effects of size and type of filler material in the existed gap at the steel core-concrete interface as well as the element's cross sectional shape, on BRB's fire resistance capacity was investigated in this paper. A nonlinear sequentially-coupled thermal-stress three-dimensional model was presented and validated by experimental results. Variation of the samples was described by three groups containing, the steel cores with the same cross section areas and equal yield strength but different materials (metal and concrete) and sizes for the gap. Responses in terms of temperature distribution, critical temperature, heating elapsed time and contraction level of BRB element were examined. The study showed that the superior fire performance of BRB was obtained by altering the filler material in the gap from metal to concrete as well as by increasing the size of the gap. Also, cylindrical BRB performed better under fire conditions compared to the rectangular cross section.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.70 no.3
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• pp.325-337
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• 2019

In the present article, cross ply laminated composite plates are considered and a simple sinusoidal shear deformation model is tested for analyzing their flexural, stability and dynamic behaviors. The model contains only four unknown variables that are five in the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) or other higher order models. The in-plane kinematic utilizes undetermined integral terms to quantitatively express the shear deformation influence. In the proposed theory, the conditions of zero shear stress are respected at bottom and top faces of plates without considering the shear correction coefficient. Equations of motion according to the proposed formulation are deduced by employing the virtual work principle in its dynamic version. The analytical solution is determined via double trigonometric series proposed by Navier. The stresses, displacements, natural frequencies and critical buckling forces computed using present method are compared with other published data where a good agreement between results is demonstrated.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 2012

This study investigates the optimum structural design of space truss considering global buckling, and is to obtain the minimal weight of the structure. The mathematical programming method is used for optimization of each member by member force. Besides, dynamic programming method is adapted for consideration in snap-through buckling. The mathematical modeling for optimum design of truss members consists of objective function of total weight and constrain equations of allowable tensile (or compressive) stress and slenderness. The tangential stiffness matrix is examined to find the critical point on equilibrium path, and a ratio of the buckling load to design load is reflected in iteration procedures of dynamic programming method to adjust the stiffness of space truss. The star dome is examined to verify the proposed optimum design processor. The numerical results of the model are conversed well and satisfied all constrains. This processor is a relatively simple method to carry out optimum design with consideration in global buckling, and is viable in practice with respect to structural design.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.451-471
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• 2022

In the present paper, the static bending and buckling responses of functionally graded carbon nanotubes-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) beam under various boundary conditions are investigated within the framework of higher shear deformation theory. The significant feature of the proposed theory is that it provides an accurate parabolic distribution of transverse shear stress through the thickness satisfying the traction-free boundary conditions needless of any shear correction factor. Uniform (UD) and four graded distributions of CNTs which are FG-O, FG-X, FG- and FG-V are selected here for the analysis. The effective material properties of FG-CNTRC beams are estimated according to the rule of mixture. To model the FG-CNTRC beam realistically, an efficient Hermite-Lagrangian finite element formulation is successfully developed. The accuracy and efficiency of the present model are demonstrated by comparison with published benchmark results. Moreover, comprehensive numerical results are presented and discussed in detail to investigate the effects of CNTs volume fraction, distribution patterns of CNTs, boundary conditions, and length-to-thickness ratio on the bending and buckling responses of FG-CNTRC beam. Several new referential results are also reported for the first time which will serve as a benchmark for future studies in a similar direction. It is concluded that the FG-X-CNTRC beam is the strongest beam that carries the lowest central deflection and is followed by the UD, V, Λ, and FG-O-CNTRC beam. Besides, the critical buckling load belonging to the FG-X-CNTRC beam is the highest, followed by UD and FG-O.