• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2021

In this paper, a multi-scale finite element (FE) modeling methodology for three-dimensional (3D) needle-punched (NP) C/SiC with a complex microstructure is presented. The variations of the material properties induced by the needle-punching process and complex geometrical features could pose challenges when estimating the material behavior. For considering these features of composites, a 3D microscopic FE approach is introduced based on micro-CT technology to produce a 3D high fidelity FE model. The image processing techniques of micro-CT are utilized to generate discrete-gray images and reconstruct the high fidelity model. Furthermore, a subcell modeling technique is developed for the 3D NP C/SiC based on the high fidelity FE model to expand to the macro-scale structural problem. A numerical homogenization approach under periodic boundary conditions (PBCs) is employed to estimate the equivalent behavior of the high fidelity model and effective properties of subcell components, considering geometry continuity effects. For verification, proposed models compare excellently with experimental results for the mechanical behavior of tensile, shear, and bending under static loading conditions.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.207-222
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• 2019

This paper has presented an effective and accurate meso-scale finite element model for simulating the fracture process of concrete under compression-shear loading. In the proposed model, concrete is parted into four important phases: aggregates, cement matrix, interfacial transition zone (ITZ), and the initial defects. Aggregate particles were modelled as randomly distributed polygons with a varying size according to the sieve curve developed by Fuller and Thompson. With regard to initial defects, only voids are considered. Cohesive elements with zero thickness are inserted into the initial mesh of cement matrix and along the interface between aggregate and cement matrix to simulate the cracking process of concrete. The constitutive model provided by ABAQUS is modified based on Wang's experiment and used to describe the failure behaviour of cohesive elements. User defined programs for aggregate delivery, cohesive element insertion and modified facture constitutive model are developed based on Python language, and embedded into the commercial FEM package ABAQUS. The effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed model are firstly identified by comparing the numerical results with the experimental ones, and then it is used to investigate the effect of meso-structure on the macro behavior of concrete. The shear strength of concrete under different pressures is also involved in this study, which could provide a reference for the macroscopic simulation of concrete component under shear force.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2015

In this paper, feasibility of dynamic characteristics recovery of delaminated composite structure is numerically studied by using active control algorithm and piezoelectric actuator. Macro-fiber composite(MFC), which has great flexibility and high actuating force, is considered as an actuator in this work. After construction of finite element model for delaminated composite structure based on improved layerwise theory, modal characteristics are investigated and changes of natural frequencies and mode shapes, caused by delamination, are observed. Then, active control algorithm is realized and implemented to system model and control performances are numerically evaluated. Dynamic characteristics of delaminated composite structure are effectively recovered to those of healthy composite structure.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.679-703
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• 2013

This paper presents experimental investigations of the fundamental behavior of concrete filled steel tube (CFT) beam-columns under fire loading. A total of thirteen specimens were tested to determine the axial force-moment-curvature-temperature behavior of CFT beam-columns. The experimental approach involved the use of: (a) innovative heating and control equipment to apply thermal loading and (b) digital image correlation with close-range photogrammetry to measure the deformations (e.g., curvature) of the heated region. Each specimen was sequentially subjected to: (i) constant axial loading; (ii) thermal loading in the expected plastic hinge region following the ASTM E119 temperature-time T-t curve; and (iii) monotonically increasing flexural loading. The effects of various parameters on the strength and stiffness of CFT beam-columns were evaluated. The parameters considered were the steel tube width, width-tothickness ratio, concrete strength, maximum surface temperature of the steel tube, and the axial load level on the composite CFT section. The experimental results provide knowledge of the fundamental behavior of composite CFT beam-columns, and can be used to calibrate analytical models or macro finite element models developed for predicting behavior of CFT members and frames under fire loading.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.501-515
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• 2014

This paper presents a linear computational homogenization framework to evaluate the effective (or generalized) electromechanical coupling coefficient (EMCC) of adaptive structures with piezoelectric structural fiber (PSF) composite elements. The PSF consists of a silicon carbide (SiC) or carbon core fiber as reinforcement to a fragile piezo-ceramic shell. For the micro-scale analysis, a micromechanics model based on the variational asymptotic method for unit cell homogenization (VAMUCH) is used to evaluate the overall electromechanical properties of the PSF composites. At the macro-scale, a finite element (FE) analysis with the commercial FE code ABAQUS is performed to evaluate the effective EMCC for structures with the PSF composite patches. The EMCC is postprocessed from free-vibrations analysis under short-circuit (SC) and open-circuit (OC) electrodes of the patches. This linear two-scale computational framework may be useful for the optimal design of active structure multi-functional composites which can be used for multi-functional applications such as structural health monitoring, power harvest, vibration sensing and control, damping, and shape control through anisotropic actuation.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.451-465
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• 2020

This paper presents experimental and numerical investigations on mechanical properties of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) with four types of steel fibers; micro steel (MS), crimped (C), round crimped (RC) and hooked-end (H), in two fiber contents of 1% and 2% (by volume) and two lengths of 13 and 30 mm. Compression, direct tension, and four-point bending tests were carried out on four types of specimens (prism, cube, dog-bone and cylinder), to study tensile and flexural strength, fracture energy and modulus of elasticity. Results were compared with UHPC specimens without fibers, as well as with available equations for the modulus of elasticity. Specimens with MS fibers had the best performance for all mechanical properties. Among macro fibers, RC had better overall performance than H and C fibers. Increased fibers improved all mechanical properties of UHPFRC, except for modulus of elasticity, which saw a negligible effect (mostly less than 10%). Moreover, nonlinear finite element simulations successfully captured flexural response of UHPFRC prisms. Finally, nonlinear regression models provided reasonably well predictions of flexural load-deflection behavior of tested specimens (coefficient of correlation, R² over 0.90).

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.12 s.283
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• pp.854-859
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• 2005

Performance of micro scale intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell system has been successfully evaluated by computer simulation based on macro modeling. Two systems were studied in this work. The one is designed that the ceria-based electrolyte placed between composite electrodes and the other is designed that electrodes alternately placed on the electrolyte. The injected gas was composed of hydrogen and air. The polarization curve was obtained through a series of calculations for ohmic loss, activation loss and concentration loss. The calculation of each loss was based on the solving of mathematical model of multi physical-phenomena such as ion conduction, fluid dynamics and diffusion and convection by Finite Element Method (FEM). The performance characteristics of SOFC were quantitatively investigated for various structural parameters such as distance between electrodes and thickness of electrolyte.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.67-70
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• 2004

An investigation was performed to study the impact damage of the laminated composite plates caused by a low- velocity foreign object with multi-scale modeling based on the concepts of Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS)[4]. In the micro-scale part, we discretize the composite plates through separate modeling of fiber and matrix for the local microscopic analysis. A micro-scalemodel was developed for predicting the initiation of the damage and the extent of the final damage as a function of material properties, laminate configuration and the impactor's mass, etc. Anda macro-scale model was developed for description of global dynamic behavior. The connection betweenmicroscopic and macroscopic is implemented by the tied interface constraints of LS-DYNA contact card. A transient dynamic finite element analysis was adopted for calculating the contact force history and the stresses and strains inside the composites during impact resulting from a point-nose impactor. The low-velocity impact events such as contact force, deformation, etc. are simulated in the macroscopic sense and the impact damages, fiber-breakage, matrix cracking and delamination etc. are examined in the microscopic sense.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.41-54
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• 2019

Reinforced Concrete (RC) shear walls are widely used in Nuclear power plants as effective lateral force resisting elements of the structure and these may experience nonlinear behavior for higher earthquake demand. Short shear walls of aspect ratio less than 1.5 generally experience combined shear flexure interaction. This paper presents the results of the displacement-controlled experiments performed on six RC short shear walls with varying aspect ratios (1, 1.25 and 1.5) for monotonic and reversed quasi-static cyclic loading. Simulation of the shear walls is then carried out by Finite element modeling and also by macro modeling considering the coupled shear and flexure behaviour. The shear response is estimated by softened truss theory using the concrete model given by Vecchio and Collins (1994) with a modification in softening part of the model and flexure response is estimated using moment curvature relationship. The accuracy of modeling is validated by comparing the simulated response with experimental one. Moreover, based on the experimental work a multi-linear hysteretic model is proposed for short shear walls. Finally ultimate load, drift, ductility, stiffness reduction and failure pattern of the shear walls are studied in details and hysteretic energy dissipation along with damage index are evaluated.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.289-299
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• 2022

Based on the random cracking theory, the cylinder RVE model of reinforced concrete is established and the damage process is divided into three stages as the evolution of the cracks. The stress distribution along longitude direction of the concrete and the steel bar in the cylinder model are derived. The equivalent elastic modulus of the RVE are derived and the user-defined field variable subroutine (USDFLD) for the equivalent elastic modulus is well integrated into the ABAQUS. Regarding the tensile rebars and the concrete surrounding the rebars as the equivalent homogeneous transversely isotropic material, and the FEM analysis for the reinforced concrete beams is conducted with the USDFLD subroutine. Considering the concrete cracking and interfacial debonding, the macroscopic damage process of the reinforced concrete beam under four-point bending loading in the simulation. The volume fraction of rebar and the cracking degree are mainly discussed to reveal their influence on the macro-performance and they are calibrated with experimental results. Comparing with the bending experiment performed with 8 reinforced concrete beams, the bending stiffness of the second stage and the ultimate load simulated are in good agreement with the experimental values, which verifies the effectiveness and the accuracy of the improved finite element method for reinforced concrete beam.