• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.147-162
• /
• 2010

The ground acceleration measured at a point on the earth's surface is composed of several waves that have different phase velocities, arrival times, amplitudes, and frequency contents. For instance, body waves contain primary and secondary waves that have high frequency content and reach the site first. Surface waves are composed of Rayleigh and Love waves that have lower phase velocity, lower frequency content and reach the site next. Some of these waves could be of more damage to the structure depending on their frequency content and associated amplitude. This paper models critical earthquake loads for single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) inelastic structures considering evolution of the seismic waves in time and frequency. The ground acceleration is represented as combination of seismic waves with different characteristics. Each seismic wave represents the energy of the ground motion in certain frequency band and time interval. The amplitudes and phase angles of these waves are optimized to produce the highest damage in the structure subject to explicit constraints on the energy and the peak ground acceleration and implicit constraints on the frequency content and the arrival time of the seismic waves. The material nonlinearity is modeled using bilinear inelastic law. The study explores also the influence of the properties of the seismic waves on the energy demand and damage state of the structure. Numerical illustrations on modeling critical earthquake excitations for one-storey inelastic frame structures are provided.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.501-509
• /
• 2019

In this paper a body-centered cubic(BCC) crystal plasticity model based on microscopic dislocation mechanism is introduced and numerically implemented. The model is coupled with irradiation effect via tracking dislocation loop evolution on each slip system. On the basis of the model, uniaxial tensile tests of unirradiated and irradiated RPV steel(take Chinese A508-3 as an example) at different temperatures are simulated, and the simulation results agree well with the experimental results. Furthermore, crystal plasticity damage is introduced into the model. Then the damage behavior before and after irradiation is studied using the model. The results indicate that the model is an effective tool to study the effect of irradiation and temperature on the mechanical properties and damage behavior.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.297-306
• /
• 2022

The acoustic emission (AE) is proposed as a feasible method for the real-time monitoring of the structural damage evolution in concrete materials that are typically used in the storage of nuclear wastes. However, the characteristics of AE signals emitted from concrete structures subjected to various environmental conditions are poorly identified. Therefore, this study examines the AE characteristics of the concrete structures during uniaxial compression, where the storage temperature and immersion conditions of the concrete specimens varied from 15℃ to 75℃ and from completely dry to water-immersion, respectively. Compared with the dry specimens, the water-immersed specimens exhibited significantly reduced uniaxial compressive strengths by approximately 26%, total AE energy by approximately 90%, and max RA value by approximately 70%. As the treatment temperature increased, the strength and AE parameters, such as AE count, AE energy, and RA value, of the dry specimens increased; however, the temperature effect was only minimal for the immersed specimens. This study suggests that the AE technique can capture the mechanical damage evolution of concrete materials, but their AE characteristics can vary with respect to the storage conditions.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.37 no.6
• /
• pp.555-563
• /
• 2024

The reasonable setting of coal pillar width plays a key role in guaranteeing the steadiness of surrounding rock of fully mechanized caving gateroad driving along the next goaf. Based on the engineering background of the Bayangaole mine, the discrete element method was used to simulate the fracture evolution of coal pillars with different pillar widths. The results show that the damage rate of the coal pillar increases with the decrease in the width of the coal pillar. Once the coal pillar width is smaller than 6 m, cracks run through the coal pillar, and the coal pillar is completely damaged. In the middle of the coal pillar, which has a width of 6 m and above, there is a relatively complete area with low damage. The results show that the pillar width of 6 m is the most appropriate. Field tests prove that the reserved width of a 6 m small coal pillar can effectively control the surrounding rock deformation, ensuring the overall steadiness of the gateroad in the thick coal seam. It is hoped that this study will offer some reference for the determination of the reasonable size of the coal pillar.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.175-182
• /
• 2013

A damage-based approach for the performance-based seismic assessment of reinforced concrete frame structures is proposed. A new methodology for structural damage assessment is developed that utilizes response information at the material level in each section fiber. The concept of the damage evolution is analyzed at the section level and the computed damage is calibrated with observed experimental data. The material level damage parameter is combined at the element, story and structural level through the use of weighting factors. The damage model is used to compare the performance of two typical 12-story frames that have been designed for different seismic requirements. A series of nonlinear time history analyses is carried out to extract demand measures which are then expressed as damage indices using the proposed model. A probabilistic approach is finally used to quantify the expected seismic performance of the building.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
• /
• 1994.04a
• /
• pp.91-96
• /
• 1994

The growth and propagation of microcracks existed in concrete cause failure of concrete. This is called "damage". The concepts of two principles, equivalent strain principle and equivalent energy principle, are reviewed and compared in the case of uniaxial compressior to concrete. The damage evolution law and constitutive equation are derived by using the Helmholz free energy and the dissipation potential by means of the thermodynamic principles.rinciples.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.107-113
• /
• 2018

Coal samples with different joints morphology were subjected to uniaxial compression experiments, cracks evolution was recorded by Nikon D5300 and acoustic emission (AE) energy signals were collected by AEwin Test for Express-8.0. During loading process, coal samples deformed elastically with no obvious cracks changes, then they expanded gradually along the trace of the original cracks, accompanied by the formation of secondary cracks, and eventually produced a large-scale fracture. It was more interesting that the failure mode of samples were all shear shape, whatever the original cracks morphology was. With cracks and damage evolution, AE energy radiated regularly. At the early loading stage, micro damage and small scale fracture events only induced a few AE events with less energy, while large scale fracture leaded to a number of AE events with more energy at the later stage. Based on the multifractal theory, the multifractal spectrum could explain AE energy signals frequency responses and the causes of AE events with load. Multifractal spectrum width (${\Delta}{\alpha}$), could reflect the differences between the large and small AE energy signals. And another parameter (${\Delta}f$) could reflect the relationship between the frequency of the least and greatest signals in the AE energy time series. This research is helpful for us to understand cracks evolution and AE energy signals causes.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.709-733
• /
• 2015

This work deals with a damage model formulation taking into account the unilateral effect of the mechanical behaviour of brittle materials such as concrete. The material is assumed as an initial elastic isotropic medium presenting anisotropy, permanent strains and bimodularity induced by damage evolution. Two damage tensors governing the stiffness in tension or compression regimes are introduced. A new damage tensor in tension regimes is proposed in order to model the diffuse damage originated in prevails compression regimes. Accordingly with micromechanical theory, the constitutive model is validate when dealing with unilateral effect of brittle materials, Finally, the proposed model is applied in the analyses of reinforced concrete framed structures submitted to reversal loading. The numerical results have shown the good performance of the modelling and its potentialities to simulate practical problems in structural engineering.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.191-206
• /
• 2010

Windborne debris is a major cause of structural damage during severe windstorms and hurricanes owing to its direct impact on building envelopes as well as to the 'chain reaction' failure mechanism it induces by interacting with wind pressure damage. Estimation of debris risk is an important component in evaluating wind damage risk to residential developments. A debris risk model developed by the authors enables one to analytically aggregate damage threats to a building from different types of debris originating from neighboring buildings. This model is extended herein to a general debris risk analysis methodology that is then incorporated into a vulnerability model accounting for the temporal evolution of the interaction between pressure damage and debris damage during storm passage. The current paper (Part I) introduces the debris risk analysis methodology, establishing the mathematical modeling framework. Stochastic models are proposed to estimate the probability distributions of debris trajectory parameters used in the method. It is shown that model statistics can be estimated from available information from wind-tunnel experiments and post-damage surveys. The incorporation of the methodology into vulnerability modeling is described in Part II.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.47 no.1
• /
• pp.121-134
• /
• 2023

This paper tested 11 concrete-encased concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) composite columns and one reinforced concrete column under combined axial compression and lateral loads. The primary parameters, including the loading system, axial compression ratio, volume stirrup ratio, diameter-to-thickness ratio of the steel tube, and stirrup form, were varied. The influence of the parameters on the failure mode, strength, ductility, energy dissipation, strength degradation, and damage evolution of the composite columns were revealed. Moreover, a two-parameter nonlinear seismic damage model for composite columns was established, which can reflect the degree and development process of the seismic damage. In addition, the relationships among the inter-story drift ratio, damage index and seismic performance level of composite columns were established to provide a theoretical basis for seismic performance design and damage assessments.