• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.167-181
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• 2023

The determination of the blast protection level and the corresponding minimum load-bearing capacity for a laminated glass (LG) window is of crucial importance for safety and security design purposes. In this paper, the focus is given to the window response under near-field blast loading, i.e., where relatively small explosives would be activated close to the target, representative of attack scenarios using small commercial drones. In general, the assessment of the load-bearing capacity of a window is based on complex and expensive experiments, which can be conducted for a small number of configurations. On the other hand, nowadays, validated numerical simulations tools based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) are available to partially substitute the physical tests for the assessment of the performance of various LG systems, especially for the far-field blast loading. However, very little literature is available on the LG window performance under near-field blast loads, which differs from far-field situations in two points: i) the duration of the load is very short, since the blast wavelength tends to increase with the distance and ii) the load distribution is not uniform over the window surface, as opposed to the almost plane wave configuration for far-field configurations. Therefore, the current study focuses on the performance assessment and structural behaviour of LG windows under near-field blasts. Typical behavioural trends are investigated, by taking into account possible relevant damage mechanisms in the LG window components, while size effects for target LG windows are also addressed under a multitude of blast loading configurations.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.625-637
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• 2023

The application of ML approaches in determining the resisting capacity of fire damaged RC columns is introduced in this paper, on the basis of analysis data driven ML modeling. Considering the characteristics of the structural behavior of fire damaged RC columns, the representative five approaches of Kernel SVM, ANN, RF, XGB and LGBM are adopted and applied. Additional partial monotonic constraints are adopted in modelling, to ensure the monotone decrease of resisting capacity in RC column with fire exposure time. Furthermore, additional suggestions are also added to mitigate the heterogeneous composition of the training data. Since the use of ML approaches will significantly reduce the computation time in determining the resisting capacity of fire damaged RC columns, which requires many complex solution procedures from the heat transfer analysis to the rigorous nonlinear analyses and their repetition with time, the introduced ML approach can more effectively be used in large complex structures with many RC members. Because of the very small amount of experimental data, the training data are analytically determined from a heat transfer analysis and a subsequent nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis, and their accuracy was previously verified through a correlation study between the numerical results and experimental data. The results obtained from the application of ML approaches show that the resisting capacity of fire damaged RC columns can effectively be predicted by ML approaches.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.673-692
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• 2016

In the standards, minimum reinforcement ratios are presented as the least reinforcement ratios that bearing elements should have in a way to include all systems and in general. However, naturally these general minimum ratios might be presented as being lower than the normally required reinforcement ratios by criteria such as system size, bearing system arrangement, section situation and distributions of the elements and earthquake effect. In this case, minimum reinforcement ratios may remain as meaningless restrictions. Then grouping the criterion that might affect reinforcement ratios according to certain parameters and creating minimum reinforcement ratios regarding preliminary design will provide ease and safety during the project designing. Moreover, it will enable fast and simple examinations in the beginning of project control and evaluation process. By means of the data which could be defined as "preliminary design & minimum reinforcement ratios", a more realistic and safe restriction compared to general minimum reinforcement ratios could be presented. As a result of numerous comprehensive studies, reinforcement ratios to include all certain systems might be obtained. Today, thanks to the development level of finite elements programs which can make reinforced concrete modelling, with the studies that are impossible to carry out beforehand, this deficiency in the minimum reinforcement ratios in the standarts may at least be partially made up with the advisory regulation of preliminary design & minimum reinforcement ratios. As the structure of the system to be examined and the diversity of the parameters range from the specific to the general, preliminary design & minimum reinforcement ratios will approximate to general minimum reinforcement ratios in real terms. By focusing on a more specific system structure and diversity of the parameters, preliminary design and even design reinforcement ratios will be approximated. In this preliminary study, a route between these two extremes was attempted to be followed. Today, it is possible to determine suggested practical ratios for project designs through carrying out numerous studies.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.29-37
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• 2016

In order to prevent leakage of contaminants in offshore landfill, vertical barrier should be installed. Vertical barrier should be installed at designed depth of seabed to prevent the horizontal transport of contaminant in the subsurface. In this study, the seepage and contaminant transport in the subsurface according to embedded depth of vertical barrier were analyzed by using 2-D finite element analysis program SEEP/W and 3-D finite difference analysis program Visual Modflow. Numerical modelling results show that seepage flux and contaminant transport in seabed was greatly reduced when vertical barrier was installed at certain depth of low permeable layer. Therefore, the determination of minimum embedded depth for preventing contaminant leakage is helpful to design the economical vertical barrier.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.87 no.1
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• pp.47-56
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• 2023

Any pre-existed delamination defect present during manufacturing or induce during service loading conditions in the wingskin adherend invariably shows a greater loss of structural integrity of the spar wingskin joint (SWJ). In the present study, inter-laminar delamination propagation at the critical location of the SWJ has been carried out using contact and multi-point constraint finite elements available with commercial FE software (ANSYS APDL). Strain energy release rates (SERR) based on virtual crack closure technique have been computed for evaluation of the opening (Mode-I), sliding (Mode-II) and cross sliding (Mode-III) modes of delamination by sequential release of multi point constraint elements. The variations of different modes of SERR are observed to be significant by considering varied delamination lengths, material properties of adherends and radius of curvature of the SWJ panel. The SERR rates are seen to be much different at the two pre-embedded delamination ends. This shows dissimilar delamination propagation rates. The maximum is seen to occur in the delamination front in the unstiffened region of the wingskin. The curvature geometry and material anisotropy of SWJ adherends significantly influences the SERR values. Increase in the SERR values are observed with decrease in the radius of curvature of wingskin panel, keeping its width unchanged. SWJs made with flat FRP composite adherends have superior resistance to delamination damage propagation than curved composite laminated SWJ panels. SWJ made with Boron/Epoxy (B/E) material shows greater resistance to the delamination propagation.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.4
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• pp.441-461
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• 2021

Reinforced concrete (RC) columns are crucial in building structures and they are of higher vulnerability to terrorist threat than any other structural elements. Thus it is of great interest and necessity to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the possible responses of RC columns when exposed to high intensive blast loads. The primary objective of this study is to derive analytical formulas to assess vulnerability of RC columns using an advanced numerical modelling approach. This investigation is necessary as the effect of blast loads would be minimal to the RC structure if the explosive charge is located at the safe standoff distance from the main columns in the building and therefore minimizes the chance of disastrous collapse of the RC columns. In the current research, finite element model is developed for RC columns using LS-DYNA program that includes a comprehensive discussion of the material models, element formulation, boundary condition and loading methods. Numerical model is validated to aid in the study of RC column testing against the explosion field test results. Residual capacity of RC column is selected as damage criteria. Intensive investigations using Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) methodology are then implemented to evaluate the influence of scaled distance, column dimension, concrete and steel reinforcement properties and axial load index on the vulnerability of RC columns. The generated empirical formulae can be used by the designers to predict a damage degree of new column design when consider explosive loads. With an extensive knowledge on the vulnerability assessment of RC structures under blast explosion, advancement to the convention design of structural elements can be achieved to improve the column survivability, while reducing the lethality of explosive attack and in turn providing a safer environment for the public.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1003-1022
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• 2018

In the current work, a series of three-dimensional finite element analyses were carried out to understand the behaviour of a pre-existing single pile to the changes of the tunnel face pressures when a shield TBM tunnel passes underneath the pile. The numerical modelling analysed the results by considering various face pressures (25~100% of the in-situ horizontal stress prior to tunnelling at the tunnel springline). In the numerical modelling, several key issues, such as the pile settlements, the axial pile forces, the shear stresses have been thoroughly analysed for different face pressures. The head settlements of the pile with the maximum face pressure decreased by about 44% compared to corresponding settlement with the minimum face pressure. Furthermore, the maximum axial force of the pile developed with the minimum face pressure. The tunnelling-induced axial pile force at the minimum face pressure was found to be about 21% larger than that with the maximum face pressure. It has been found that the ground settlements and the pile settlements are heavily affected by the face pressures. In addition, the influence of the piles and the ground was analysed by considering characteristics of the soil deformations. Also, the apparent safety factor of the piles are substantially reduced for all the analyses conducted in the current simulation, resulting in severe effects on the adjacent piles. Therefore, the behaviour of the piles, according to change the face pressures, has been extensively examined and analysed by considering the key features in great details.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-86
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• 2014

This paper describes an integrity evaluation method for emergency diesel generator(EDG) and rotor part of EDG. EDG is a very important equipment in the nuclear power plant(NPP). EDG supplies electricity to the safety-related equipments for the safety shut down of NPP in an emergency situation of earthquake. The safety of the rotor part of EDG is also important during seismic impact from earthquake. The finite element modelling of the EDG including rotor part was constructed. The modal analysis of EDG was firstly performed. The first natural frequency was calculated and revealed higher than the cutoff frequency of seismic spectrum. Then the stress analysis was done to compare with the allowable stress. The safety of the rotor part was investigated by the finite element analysis of the rotor and journal bearing interaction to find film thickness and critical speed. The seismic load was applied to rotor part in a manner that the load was a weighted static load. Analysis results showed that the maximum stress was within the range of allowable stress and the film thickness is larger than the permissible minimum thickness, and the critical speed was out of the operating speed. Hence, the structural and dynamic integrity of EDG could be confirmed by the numerical analysis method used in this paper. However, dynamic analysis of a rotating rotor and supporting bearing with the seismic impact needs to be investigated in a more rigorous method since the seismic load to the rotating part complicates the behavior of rotating system.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.603-617
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• 2017

This paper presents investigation into the behavior of beam-column joints, with the joint region concrete being replaced by steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) and by ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). A total of ten beam-column joint specimens (BCJ) were tested experimentally to failure under monotonic and cyclic loading, with the beam section being subjected to flexural loading and the column to combined flexural and axial loading. The joint region essentially transferred shear and axial stresses as received from the column. Steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) were used as an innovative construction and/or strengthening scheme for some of the BCJ specimens. The reinforced concrete specimens were reinforced with longitudinal steel rebar, 18 mm, and some specimens were reinforced with an additional two ties in the joint region. The results showed that using SFRC and UHPC as a replacement concrete for the BCJ improved the joint shear strength and the load carrying capacity of the hybrid specimens. The mode of failure was also converted from a non-desirable joint shear failure to a preferred beam flexural failure. The effect of the ties in the SFRC and UHPC joint regions could not be observed due to the beam flexural failure. Several models were used in estimating the joint shear strength for different BCJ specimens. The results showed that the existing models yielded wide-ranging values. A new concept to take into account the influence of column axial load on the shear strength of beam-column joints is also presented, which demonstrates that the recommended values for concrete tensile strength for determination of joint shear strength need to be amended for joints subject to moderate to high axial loads. Furthermore, finite element model (FEM) simulation to predict the behaviour of the hybrid BCJ specimens was also carried out in an ABAQUS environment. The result of the FEM modelling showed good agreement with experimental results.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.101-113
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• 2012

The degradation of a tunnel drainage system leads to increases in pore water pressure around the tunnel and the lining stress, which results in affecting the tunnel stability. In the present study of the Namsan 3th tunnel, more than 30 year old tunnel, the effects of the drainage performance reduction due to drain hole clogging on the tunnel lining stability were investigated by examining pore water pressure distribution around the tunnel and the lining stresses through numerical analysis. Groundwater flow modeling on the Mt. Namsan region was done first and 3D seepage and coupled stress-pore water pressure finite element analysis were performed on the tunnel using the results of the groundwater flow modeling. The pore water pressure distribution and the tunnel lining stresses could be predicted using a drain hole outflow data measured in the tunnel site. This analysis method may be used to evaluate the current stability of old tunnels for which in most cases field investigations and related information are not readily available.