• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.898-905
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• 2006

In the present paper, for a quantitative assessment of early-age cracking in an RC wall, an improved analytical model is proposed. First of all, a three-dimensional finite element model for the analysis of stresses due to hydration heat and differential drying shrinkage is introduced. A discrete steel element derived using the equivalent nodal force concept is used to simulate reinforcing steels, embedded in a concrete matrix. In advance, to quantitatively calculate the cracking potential, an analytical model that can estimate the post-cracking behavior in an RC tension member is proposed Subsequent comparisons. of analytical results with test results verify that the combined use of both the finite element model for the stress analysis as well as the analytical model for the estimation of the post-cracking behavior in an RC tension member make it possible to accurately predict the cracking ,behavior of RC walls.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.5 no.2_3_4
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• pp.257-266
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• 2002

In the recent years flow around bridges are investigated using computer modeling. Selvam (1998), Selvam and Bosch (1999), Frandsen and McRobie (1999) used finite element procedures. Larsen and Walther (1997) used discrete vorticity procedure. The aeroelastic instability is a major criterion to be checked for long span bridges. If the wind speed experienced by a bridge is greater than the critical wind speed for flutter, then the bridge fails due to aeroelastic instability. Larsen and Walther (1997) computed the critical velocity for flutter using discrete vortex method similar to wind tunnel procedures. In this work, the critical velocity for flutter will be calculated directly (free oscillation procedure) similar to the approaches reported by Selvam et al. (1998). It is expected that the computational time required to compute the critical velocity using this approach may be much shorter than the traditional approach. The computed critical flutter velocity of 69 m/s is in reasonable comparison with wind tunnel measurement. The no flutter and flutter conditions are illustrated using the bridge response in time.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.248-260
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• 2004

Damage in brittle rock due to stress increase starts from initiation of microcracks, and then results in failure by forming macro failure planes due to propagation and coalescence of these discrete cracks. Conventionally, continuum approaches using macro-failure criteria or a number of elasto-plastic models have been major solution to implement rock damage and failure. However, actual brittle failure processes can be better described in phenomenological approach if initiation and propagation of discrete fractures are explicitly considered. This study presents damage and failure process of rock using a boundary element code, FRACOD, which has been developed to model fracturing process of rocks. Through a series of numerical uniaxial compressive tests, the feasibility of the developed model was verified, and realistic rock failure process was reproduced considering scale effects in rocks. In addition, the fracturing process and the corresponding rock damage in the vicinity of deep shaft in rock mass were presented as an application of this approach. This approach will be expected to contribute to finding better engineering solutions for the analysis of stability problems in brittle rock masses.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.173-184
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• 1994

The objective of this study was to develop a simple and efficient numerical modeling technique for dynamic crack propagation using the finite element method. The study focused on the analysis of a rapidly propagation crack in an elastic body. As already known, discrete crack tip advance with the stationary node procedure results in spurious oscillation in the calculated energy terms. To reduce the spurious oscillation, a simple and efficient moving node procedure is proposed. The procedure does require neither remeshing the discretization nor distorting the original mesh. Two different central difference schemes are also evaluated and compared for dynamic crack propagation problem.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.135-154
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• 2002

This paper presents the convected material frame approach to study the nonlinear behavior of inelastic frame structures. The convected material frame approach is a modification of the co-rotational approximation by incorporating an adaptive convected material frame in the basic definition of the displacement vector and strain tensor. In the formulation, each discrete element is associated with a local coordinate system that rotates and translates with the element. For each load increment, the corresponding strain-displacement and nodal force-stress relationships are defined in the updated local coordinates, and based on the updated element geometry. The rigid body motion and deformation displacements are decoupled for each increment. This modified approach incorporates the geometrical nonlinearities through the continuous updating of the material frame geometry. A generalized nonlinear function is used to derive the inelastic constitutive relation and the kinematic hardening is considered. The equation of motion is integrated by an explicit procedure and it involves only vector assemblage and vector storage in the analysis by assuming a lumped mass matrix of diagonal form. Several numerical examples are demonstrated in close agreement with the solutions obtained by the ANSYS code. Numerical studies show that the proposed approach is capable of investigating large deflection of inelastic planar structures and providing an excellent numerical performance.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.96-107
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• 1993

This paper deals with the analysis of rock slope stability using the distinct element method. This method consists in analysis of the interaction of discrete block assemblage delimited by elementary joints, which permits to consider the heterogeneous, anisotropic and discontinuous features of the rock mass. In particular, we were able to show that this method, and especially the BRIG3D software, is an outstanding tool which gives informations of greatest interest in order to analyze the toppling mechanisms. We have confirmed the fundamental role of the rock mass structure with different simulations. In the case of toppling phenomena, the essential parameter is the dip of major discontinuities. It has an influence on the intensity and volume of deformations. The anisotropic and heterogeneous features of the rock mass play also an important role. It is proved by insertion of thick rock bars in the structure or varying rock block sizes in the mass. These models modified considerably the stress distribution and the deformation distribution. Finally, we have analyzed the influence of mechanical parameters such as friction angle and tangential stiffness.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.413-415
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• 1999

Our previous report demonstrated that the rhp51$^＋$, a recA and RAD51 homolog of the fission yeast, encodes three transcripts of 1.9, 1.6 and 1.3 kb which have at least six polyadenylation sites. The 3'-end of the gene alone can direct the formation of multiple, discrete 3'ends of the transcripts. To identify the regulatory element required for the 3'-end formation of -rhp51$^＋$ deletion mapping analysis was performed. Northern blot analysis revealed that the 254-bp DNA fragment including 4 distinct poly (A) sites downstream from the Hindlll site, is crucial for normal 3'-end formation. Deletion of the 3'-terminal AU rich region caused appearance of read-through RNA, leading to enhancement of survival rate of the rhp51 deletion mutant in response to DNA damaging agent, methylmethane sulfonate (MMS). The results imply that the rhp51$^＋$ system may be useful for molecular analysis of the 3'-end formation of RNA in the fission yeast.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.14 no.6 s.78
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• pp.547-552
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• 2005

In general, the sheet metal and die are described by finite elements for the simulation of the metal forming processes. Because the characteristics as continuum of the sheet metal are represented with triangles and rectangles, the errors occur inevitably in finite element analysis. Many contact schemes to describe the deformation modes exactly have been introduced in order to decrease these errors. In this study, a scheme for continuous contact treatment is proposed in order to consider the realistic behavior of contact phenomena during the forming process. The discrete mesh causes stepwise propagation of contact nodes of the sheet even though the contact region of the real forming process is altered very smoothly. It gives rise to convergence problem in case that the process, for example bending process, is sensitive to the contact between the sheet and the tools. The analysis of the unconstrained cylindrical bending process without blank holder is also presented in order to investigate the effect of the proposed algorithm.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1029-1044
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• 2017

The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is one of the useful numerical methods to analyze the behavior of the ground formation by computing the motion and interaction using particles. The DEM has not been applied in civil engineering but also a wide range of industrial fields, such as chemical engineering, pharmacy, material science, food engineering, etc. In this study, to review a performance of the spoke-type earth pressure balance (EPB) shield TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine), the commercial software based on the DEM technology was used. An analysis of the TBM during excavation was conducted according to two pre-defined excavation conditions with the different rotation speed of a cutterhead. During the analysis, the resistant torque at the face of the cutterhead, the compressive force at the cutterhead and shield surface, the muck discharge at the screw auger were measured and compared. Upon the two kinds of excavation conditions, the applicability of the DEM analysis was reviewed as a modelling method for the TBM.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.455-470
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• 2016

In ballasted railway tracks, ballast fouling due to finer material intrusion has been identified as a challenging issue in track maintenance works. In this research, deformation characteristics of crushed stone-sand mixtures, simulating fresh and fouled ballasts were studied from laboratory and a 3-D discrete element method (DEM) triaxial compression tests. The DEM simulation was performed using a recently developed DEM approach, named, Yet Another Dynamic Engine (YADE). First, void ratio characteristics of crushed stone-sand mixtures were studied. Then, triaxial compression tests were conducted on specimens with 80 and 50% of relative densities simulating dense and loose states respectively. Initial DEM simulations were conducted using sphere particles. As stress-strain behaviour of crushed stone-sand mixtures evaluated by sphere particles were different from laboratory specimens, in next DEM simulations, the particles were modeled by a clump particle. The clump shape was selected using shape indexes of the actual particles evaluated by an image analysis. It was observed that the packing behaviour of laboratory crushed stone-sand mixtures were matched well with the DEM simulation with clump particles. The results also showed that the strength properties of crushed stone deteriorate when they are mixed by 30% or more of sand, specially under dense state. The results also showed that clump particles give closer stress-strain behaviour to laboratory specimens than sphere particles.