• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.479-486
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• 2003

This paper presents an elastoplastic analysis for spent nuclear fuel disposal container and its 50 cm thick bentonite buffer to predict the collapse of the container while the horizontal asymmetric sudden rock movement of 10 cm is applied on the composite structure. This sudden rock movement is anticipated by the earthquake etc. at a deep underground. Elastoplastic material model is adopted. Drucker-Prager yield criterion is used for the material yield prediction of the bentonite buffer and von-Mises yield criterion is used for the material yield prediction of the container. Analysis results show that even though very large deformations occur beyond the yield point in the bentonite buffer, the container structure still endures elastic small strains and stresses below the yield strength. Hence, the asymmetric 50 cm thick bentonite buffer can protect the container safely against the 10 cm sudden rock movement by earthquake etc.. Analysis results also show that bending deformations occur in the container structure due to the shear deformation of the bentonite buffer. The finite element analysis code, NISA, is used for the analysis.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.589-598
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• 2017

In this paper, dynamic response of the horizontal concrete beam subjected to seismic ground excitation is investigated. The structure is reinforced by $Fe_2O_3$ nanoparticles which have the magnetic properties. The hyperbolic shear deformation beam theory (HSDBT) is used for mathematical modeling of the structure. Based on the Mori-Tanaka model, the effective material properties of concrete beam is calculated considering the agglomeration of $Fe_2O_3$ nanoparticles. Applying energy method and Hamilton's principle, the motion equations are derived. Harmonic differential quadrature method (HDQM) along with Newmark method is utilized for numerical solution of the motion equations. The effects of different parameters such as volume fraction and agglomeration of $Fe_2O_3$ nanoparticles, magnetic field, boundary conditions and geometrical parameters of concrete beam are studied on the dynamic response of the structure. In order to validation of this work, an exact solution is used for comparing the numerical and analytical results. The results indicated that applying magnetic field decreases the of the structure up to 54 percent. In addition, increase too much the magnetic field (Hx>5e8 A/m) does not considerable effect on the reduction of the maximum dynamic displacement.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.76 no.4
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• pp.491-503
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• 2020

This study extends previous experimental research on the shear behaviour of macrosynthetic fibre-reinforced concrete beams and compares them to steel fibre-reinforced concrete beams with similar mechanical and geometrical properties. This work employed two fibre types: 60/0.9 (long/diameter) double hooked-end steel fibre and 60/85 monofilament polypropylene fibre. Beams were tested by shear loading covering parameters, such as two different cross-section widths, two shear-span-to-effective-depth ratios, two fibre types and using repetitions with and without transverse reinforcement. For quantitative comparison purposes, crack pattern evolution was studied along increasing loads levels. Effects were studied by photogrammetry, including influence of fibres on crack propagation in uncracked and dowel zones, influence of fibres on stirrup behaviour, and shear deformation or kinematics of critical shear cracks. The results evidenced similar effectiveness for both fibre types in controlling shear crack propagation and horizontal dowel cracking. Both fibres provided similar shear ductility and shear deflections. Consequently, the authors confirm that residual flexural tensile strengths are a convenient parameter for characterising the shear behaviour of fibre-reinforced concrete beams.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.125-139
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• 2016

For seismic retrofitting of masonry walls, the use of fibre reinforced cement-based mortar for bonding the fibre grids can eliminate some of the shortcomings related to the use of resin as bonding material. The results of an experimental testing program on masonry walls retrofitted with fibre reinforced mortar and fibre grids are presented in this paper. Seven squat masonry walls were tested under unidirectional lateral displacement reversals and constant axial load. Steel anchors were used to increase the effectiveness of the bond between the fibre grids and the masonry walls. Application of fibre grids on both lateral faces of the walls effectively improved the hysteretic behaviour and specimens could be loaded until slip occurred in the horizontal joint between the masonry and the bottom concrete stub. Application of the fibre grids on a single face did not effectively improve the hysteretic behaviour. Retrofitting with fibre reinforced mortar only prevented the early damage but did not effectively increase deformation capacity. When the boundaries of the cross sections were not properly confined, midplane splitting of the masonry walls occurred. Steel anchors embedded in the walls in the corners area effectively prevented this type of failure.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.30-35
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• 2017

In this work, a manufacturing and structural test of 1kW class horizontal axis wind turbine blade using natural-fiber composite was performed. The aerodynamic design of blade was performed after investigation on design requirement. The structural design load was investigated after aerodynamic design of blade. And also, structural design of blade was carried out. The structural design of blade was carried out using the simplified methods such as the netting rule and the rule of mixture applied to composite. The structural safety of the designed blade structure is investigated through the various load cases, stress, deformation and buckling analyses using the FEM method. Finally, the blade manufacturing and structural test using natural composite was carried out.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.81-95
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• 2019

The unexpected seismic interaction of dry-assembled precast concrete frame structures typical of the European heritage with their precast cladding panels brought to extensive failures of the panels during recent earthquakes due to the inadequateness of their connection systems. Following this recognition, an experimental campaign of cyclic and pseudo-dynamic tests has been performed at ELSA laboratory of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission on a full-scale prototype of precast structure with vertical and horizontal cladding panels within the framework of the Safecladding project. The panels were connected to the frame structure by means of innovative arrangements of fastening systems including isostatic, integrated and dissipative. Many of the investigated configurations involved a strong frame-cladding interaction, modifying the structural behaviour of the frame turning it into highly non-linear since small deformation. In such cases, properly modelling the connections becomes fundamental in the framework of a design by non-linear dynamic analysis. This paper presents the peculiarities of the numerical models of precast frame structures equipped with the various cladding connection systems which have been set to predict and simulate the experimental results from pseudo-dynamic tests. The comparison allows to validate the structural models and to derive recommendations for a proper modelling of the different types of existing and innovative cladding connection systems.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.67-79
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• 2021

The influence of ground motions on the seismic response of utility tunnels was investigated. A series of small-scale shaking table model tests were carried out under uniform excitation in the transverse direction. Different peak accelerations of EL-Centro and Taft earthquake waves were applied. The acceleration responses, earth pressure, seismic strain, bending moment and structure deformations were measured and discussed. The results showed that the types of earthquake waves had significant influences on the soil-structure acceleration responses. However, the amplitude of the soil acceleration along the depth showed consistent variation regardless of the types of earthquake waves and tunnels. The horizontal soil pressure near the top and bottom slabs showed obviously larger values than those at other depths. In general, the strain response in the outer surface was more significant than that on the inner surface, and the peak strain in the end section of the model was larger than that in the middle section. Moreover, the bending moment at the corner points was much larger than that at middle point, and the bending moment was greatly affected by both input accelerations and seismic wave types. The opposite direction of shear deformation on the top and bottom slabs presented a rotation trend of the model structure.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.459-469
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• 2020

An external prestressed steel-bar truss unit was developed as a new strengthening technology to enhance the seismic performance of an in-plane masonry wall structure while taking advantage of the benefits of a prestressed system. The presented method consists of six steel bars: two prestressed vertical bars to introduce a prestressing force on the masonry wall, two diagonal bars to resist shear deformation, and two horizontal bars to maintain the configuration. To evaluate the effects of this new technique, four full-scale specimens, including a control specimen, were tested under combined loadings that included constant-gravity axial loads and cyclic lateral loads. The experimental results were analyzed in terms of the shear strength, initial stiffness, dissipated energy, and strain history. The efficiency of the external prestressed steel-bar truss unit was validated. In particular, a retrofitted specimen with an axial load level of 0.024 exhibited a more stable post behavior and higher energy dissipation than a control specimen with an observed complete sliding failure. The four vertical bars of the adjacent retrofitting units created a virtual column, and their strain values did not change until they reached the peak shear strength. The shear capacity of the masonry wall structure with external prestressed steel-bar truss units could be predicted using the model suggested by Yang et al.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.78 no.5
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• pp.637-649
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• 2021

Great efforts have been conducted to investigate the seismic performances of the arch and rectangular underground structures, however, the differences between seismic responses of these two types of underground structures, especially the vault radian influencing the seismic responses of arch structures are not clarified. This paper presents a detailed numerical investigation on the seismic responses of arch underground structures with different vault radians, and aims to illustrate the rule that vault radian affects the seismic responses of underground structures. Five arch underground structures are built for nonlinear soil-structure interaction analysis. The internal forces of the structural components of the underground structures only under gravity are discussed detailedly, and an optimum vault radian for perfect load-carrying functionality of arch underground structures is suggested. Then the structures are analyzed under seven scaled ground motions, amounting to a total of 35 dynamic calculations. The numerical results show that the vault radian can have beneficial effects on the seismic response of the arch structure, compared to the rectangular underground structures, causing the central columns to suffer smaller axial force and horizontal deformation. The conclusions provide some directive suggestions for the seismic design of the arch underground structures.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.419-431
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• 2021

Construction of retaining walls with geocell has been gaining in popularity because of its easy and fast installation compared to conventional methods. In this study, model tests were conducted by constructing the geocell retaining wall (GRW) at a constant height (i.e., 90 cm) and using aggregate as an infill material at four different configurations and two different surface angles. In these tests, a circular footing was placed behind the walls at different lateral distances from the wall surface and loaded monotonically. Subsequent to this vertical loading being applied to the footing, horizontal displacements on the GRW surface were measured at three different points. The performance of Type 4 GRW exceeded the other three types of GRW, with the highest lateral displacement occurring in Type 4 GRW at approximately 0.67 % of wall height. In addition, the results of these tests were compared with theoretical approaches widely accepted in the literature. The stress levels reached beneath the footing were found to be compatible with theoretical results.