• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.192-192
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• 2008

As the lifetime of nuclear power plants (NPPs) reaches design life, the probability for fatal accidents increases. Most of accidents are known to be caused by degradation of mechanical components. Pressure tubes are the most important components in CANDU reactor. They are subjected to various aging mechanisms such as delayed hydride cracking (DHC), irradiation and corrosion, etc. Therefore, the integrity of pressure tube is key concern in CANDU reactor. Up to recently, conventional deterministic approaches have been utilized to evaluate the integrity of components. However, there are many uncertainties to prevent a rational evaluation. The objective of this paper is to assess the failure probability of pressure tube in CANDU. To do this, probability fracture mechanics (PFM) analysis based on the Genetic Algorithm (GA) is performed. For the verification of the analysis, a comparison of the PFM analysis using a commercial code and mathematical method is carried out.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.355-365
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• 2018

Five previously-tested reinforced concrete frames were modelled using a nonlinear finite element analysis procedure to demonstrate the accurate response simulations for seismically-deficient frames through pushover analyses. The load capacities, story drifts, and failure modes were simulated. This procedure accounts for the effects of shear failures and the shear-axial force interaction, and thus is suitable for modeling seismically-deficient frames. It is demonstrated that a comprehensive analysis method with a capability of simulating material constitutive response and significant second-order mechanisms is essential in achieving a satisfactory response simulation. It is further shown that such analysis methods are invaluable in determining the expected seismic response, safety, and failure mode of the frame structures for a performance-based seismic evaluation. In addition, a new computer program was developed to aid researchers and engineers in the direct displacement-based seismic design process by assessing whether a frame structure meets the code-based performance requirements by analyzing the analysis results. As such, the proposed procedure facilitates the performance-based design of new buildings as well as the numerical assessment and retrofit design of existing buildings. A sample frame analysis was presented to demonstrate the application and verification of the approach.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.154-160
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• 2001

For major structural components periodic inspections and integrity assessments are needed for the safety. However, many flaws are undetectable because sampling inspection is carried out during in-service inspection. Probabilistic integrity assessment is applied to take into consideration of uncertainty and variance of input parameters arise due to material properties and undetectable cracks. This paper describes a Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics(PFM) analysis based on the Monte Carlo(MC) algorithms. Taking a number of sampling data of probabilistic variables such as fracture toughness value, crack depth and aspect ratio of an initial surface crack, a MC simulation of failure judgement of samples is performed. for the verification of this analysis, a comparison study of the PFM analysis using a commercial code, mathematical method is carried out and a good agreement was observed between those results.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.646-655
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• 1990

A practically useful system for elastic-plastic fracture mechanics analysis has been developed. The developed system is comprised of the deformation plasticity failure assessment diagram(DPFAD) approach and the J-integral/Tearing modulus(J/T) approach. The system contains analysis routines for five types of fracture specimens : compact tension, center cracked tension, single edge craked plate in uniform tension, single edge cracked plate in three point bending and double edge cracked plate in tension. A double interpolation scheme was adopted to interpolate J values from the EPRI developed EPFM handbook and the Newton-Raphson method was used to obtain proper loadings for displacement control conditions. A graphic output system was utilized to present numerical results. Several case studies were performed to evaluate the accuracy and the usefulness of the code. It was found that the J/T approach and the DPFAD approach yielded similar results. However, the DPFAD approach is more convenient for qick assessment of integrity of cracked structures while the J/T approach is more useful in evaluating the full history of the fracture process.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 2001

Reinforced concrete frame buildings in regions of low to moderate seismicity are typically designed only for gravity loads with non-seismic detailing provisions of the code. These buildings possess strong beam-weak column, which brings about the brittle structural performance like the column sidesway failure mechanism during the strong lateral load. The objective of this paper is to enhance the column strength and deformation capacity for reconfiguring the structural failure mode by averting a column soft-story collapse and moving to a more ductile beam-sides way mechanism suing new reinforcing materials. Aramid fiber sheet and reinforcing rod-composite materials was used for this purpose. The column was modeled by the 2/3 scale experimental specimen retested. According to the concept of the capacity design, the damaged column was strengthened by the column jacketing using new reinfocing materials such as rod-composite materials. In conclusion, the improvement of the flexural strength is observed and the capacity of the energy dissipation and the ductility is enhanced, too.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.419-435
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• 2004

The safety level of a structural system designed per code specifications can not be inferred directly from the reliability of members due to the load redistribution and nonlinear inelastic structural behavior. Comparison of the system and member reliability, which is scarce in the literature, is likely to indicate any possible inconsistency of design codes in providing safe and economical designs. Such a comparative study is presented in this study for moment resisting two-dimensional steel frames designed per AISC LRFD Specifications. The member reliability is evaluated using the resistance of the beam-column element and the elastic load effects that indirectly accounts for the second-order effects. The system reliability analysis is evaluated based on the collapse load factor obtained from a second-order inelastic analysis. Comparison of the system and member reliability is presented for several steel frames. Results suggest that the failure probability of the system is about one order of magnitude lower than that of the most critically loaded structural member, and that the difference between the system and member reliability depends on the structural configuration, degree of redundancy, and dead to live load ratio. Results also suggest that the system reliability is less sensitive to initial imperfections of the structure than the member reliability. Therefore, the system aspect should be incorporated in future design codes in order to achieve more reliability consistent designs.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1323-1343
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• 2016

This paper presents the results of an extensive numerical analysis program devoted to the investigation of the mechanical behaviour of bolted ball-cylinder joints. The analysis program is developed by means of finite element (FE) models implemented in the non-linear code ABAQUS. The FE models have been accurately calibrated on the basis of available experimental results. It is indicated that the FE models could be used effectively to describe the mechanical performance of bolted ball-cylinder joints, including failure modes, stress distributions and load-displacement curves. Therefore, the proposed FE models could be regarded as an efficient and accurate tool to investigate the mechanical behavior of bolted ball-cylinder joints. In addition, to develop a further investigation, parametric studies were performed, varying the dimensions of hollow cylinders, rectangular tubes, convex washers and ribbed stiffener. It is found that the dimensions of hollow cylinders, rectangular tubes and ribbed stiffener influenced the mechanical behaviour of bolted ball-cylinder joints significantly. On the contrary, the effects of the dimensions of convex washers were negligible.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.295-308
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• 2012

This paper experimentally investigated the buckling capacity of built-up steel columns mainly, Cruciform Columns (CC) and Side-to-Side (SS) columns fabricated from two Universal Beam (UB) sections. A series of nine experimental tests comprised of three UB sections, three CC sections and three SS sections with different lengths were tested to failure to measure the ultimate axial capacity of each column section. The lengths used for each category of columns were 1.8, 2.0, and 2.2 m with slenderness ratios ranging from 39-105. The measured buckling loads of the tested specimens were compared with the predicted ultimate axial capacity using Eurocode 3, AISC LRFD, and BS 5959-1. It was observed that the failure modes of the specimens included flexural buckling, local buckling and flexural-torsional buckling. The results showed that the ultimate axial capacity of the tested cruciform and side-by-side columns were higher than the code predicted design values by up to 20%, with AISC LRFD design values being the least conservative and the Eurocode 3 design values being the most conservative. This study has concluded that cruciform column and side-to-side welded flange columns using universal beam sections are efficient built-up sections that have larger ultimate axial load capacity, larger stiffness with saving in the weight of steel used compared to its equivalent universal beam counterpart.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.127-134
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• 2018

This study suggests the tangent modulus $E_t$ associated with partially yielded section of steel member under axially compressed. The provisions for column strength does not provide a information about failure mode of structural system. So, designers can not evaluate that a failure comes from member buckling or material yielding. The material of the axially compressed column under inelastic behavior reaches yielding point before the axial force renders the column bent. If axial members yields not by buckling effect but gradually yielding effect of material, the design code should accept related tangent modulus Et which is based on gradual yielding effect of material. This study provides the new effective tangent modulus $E_t$ derived in the case that residual stress is 30 percent and 50 percent of yielding stress respectively. The study considers idealized I section of steel which ignores web and general I section of steel with web respectively and makes conclude that tangent modulus $E_t$ with idealized I section of steel is rational.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.653-659
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• 2002

This paper describes a probabilistic fracture mechanics(PFM) analysis based on Monte Carlo(MC) simulation. In the analysis of CANDU pressure tube, the depth and aspect ratio of an initial semi-elliptical surface crack, a fracture toughness value and delayed hydride cracking(DHC) velocity are assumed to be probabilistic variables. As an example, some failure probabilities of piping and CANDU pressure tube are calculated using MC method with the stratified sampling MC technique, taking analysis conditions of normal operations. In the stratified MC simulation, a sampling space of probabilistic variables is divided into a number of small cells. For the verification of analysis results, a comparison study of the PFM analysis using other commercial code is carried out and a good agreement was observed between those results.