• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.117-133
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• 2014

Natural vibration of truss cable structures is analyzed based upon the general structural analysis software ANSYS, energy variational method and Rayleigh method, the calculated results of three methods are compared, from which the characteristics of free-vibration are obtained. Moreover, vertical seismic response analysis of truss cable structures is carried out via time-history method. Introducing three natural earthquake waves calculated the results including time-history curve of vertical maximal displacement, time-history curve of maximal internal force. Variation curve of maximal displacement of node along span, and variation curve of maximal internal force of member along span are presented. The results show the formulas of frequencies for truss cable structures obtained by energy variational method are of high accuracy. Furthermore, the maximal displacement and the maximal internal force occur near the 1/5 span point. These provide convenient and simple design method for practical engineering.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.777-799
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• 2016

One of the major components for performance based seismic design is accurate estimation of critical seismic demand parameters. While nonlinear seismic analysis is the most appropriate analysis method for estimation of seismic demand parameters, this method is very time consuming and complex. Single mode pushover analysis method, N2 method and multi-mode pushover analysis method, modal pushover analysis (MPA) are two nonlinear static methods that have recently been used for seismic performance evaluation of few lateral load-resisting systems. This paper further investigates the applicability of N2 and MPA methods for estimating the seismic demands of ductile unstiffened steel plate shear walls (SPSWs). Three different unstiffened SPSWs (4-, 8-, and 15-storey) designed according to capacity design approach were analysed under artificial and real ground motions for Vancouver. A comparison of seismic response quantities such as, height-wise distribution of floor displacements, storey drifts estimated using N2 and MPA methods with more accurate nonlinear seismic analysis indicates that both N2 and MPA procedures can reasonably estimates the peak top displacements for low-rise SPSW buildings. In addition, MPA procedure provides better predictions of inter-storey drifts for taller SPSW. The MPA procedure has been extended to provide better estimate of base shear of SPSW.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.191-208
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• 2015

The sensitivity-based finite element model updating method has received increasing attention in damage detection of structures based on measured modal parameters. Finding an optimization technique with high efficiency and fast convergence is one of the key issues for model updating-based damage detection. A new simple and computationally efficient optimization algorithm is proposed and applied to damage detection by using finite element model updating. The proposed method combines the Gauss-Newton method with region truncation of each iterative step, in which not only the constraints are introduced instead of penalty functions, but also the searching steps are restricted in a controlled region. The developed algorithm is illustrated by a numerically simulated 25-bar truss structure, and the results have been compared and verified with those obtained from the trust region method. In order to investigate the reliability of the proposed method in damage detection of structures, the influence of the uncertainties coming from measured modal parameters on the statistical characteristics of detection result is investigated by Monte-Carlo simulation, and the probability of damage detection is estimated using the probabilistic method.

• Water for future
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.76-86
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• 1976

The 30-year design flood hydrograph for the Musim Representative Basin, one of the study basins of the International Hydrological Program, is synthesized by the method of unit hydrograph. The theory of unit hydrograph has been well known for a long time. However, the synthesis of flood hydrograph by this method for a basin with insufficient hydrologic data is not an easy task and hence, assumptions and engineering judgement must be exercized. In this paper, the problems often encountered in applying the unit hydrograph method are exposed and solved in detail based on the theory and rational judgement. The probability rainfall for Cheonju Station is transposed to the Musim Basin since it has not been analyzed due to short period of rainfall record. The duration of design rainfall was estimated based on the time of concentration for the watershed. The effective rainfall was determined from the design rainfall using the SCS method which is commonly used for a small basin. The spatial distribution of significant storms was expressed as a dimensionless rainfall mass curve and hence, it was possible to determine the hyetograph of effective design storm. To synthesize the direct runoff hydrograph the 15-min. unit hydrograph was derived by the S-Curve method from the 1-hr unit hydrograph which was obtained from the observed rainfall and runoff data, and then it was applied to the design hyetograph. The exsisting maximum groundwater depletion curve was derived by the base flow seperation. Hence, the design flood hydrograph was obtained by superimposing the groundwater depletion curve to the computed direct runoff hydrograph resulting from the design storm.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.129-144
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• 2008

This paper demonstrates an application of the perturbation based stochastic finite element method (SFEM) for predicting the performance of structural systems made of composite sections with random material properties. The composite member consists of materials in contact each of which can surround a finite number of inclusions. The perturbation based stochastic finite element analysis can provide probabilistic behavior of a structure, only the first two moments of random variables need to be known, and should therefore be suitable as an alternative to Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) for realizing structural analysis. A summary of stiffness matrix formulation of composite systems and perturbation based stochastic finite element dynamic analysis formulation of structural systems made of composite sections is given. Two numerical examples are presented to illustrate the method. During stochastic analysis, displacements and sectional forces of composite systems are obtained from perturbation and Monte Carlo methods by changing elastic modulus as random variable. The results imply that perturbation based SFEM method gives close results to MCS method and it can be used instead of MCS method, especially, if computational cost is taken into consideration.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.255-271
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• 2018

This paper deals with the transient dynamic analysis and elastic wave propagation in a functionally graded graphene platelets (FGGPLs)-reinforced composite thick hollow cylinder, which is subjected to shock loading. A micromechanical model based on the Halpin-Tsai model and rule of mixture is modified for nonlinear functionally graded distributions of graphene platelets (GPLs) in polymer matrix of composites. The governing equations are derived for an axisymmetric FGGPLs-reinforced composite cylinder with a finite length and then solved using a hybrid meshless method based on the generalized finite difference (GFD) and Newmark finite difference methods. A numerical time discretization is performed for the dynamic problem using the Newmark method. The dynamic behaviors of the displacements and stresses are obtained and discussed in detail using the modified micromechanical model and meshless GFD method. The effects of the reinforcement of the composite cylinder by GPLs on the elastic wave propagations in both displacement and stress fields are obtained for various parameters. It is concluded that the proposed micromechanical model and also the meshless GFD method have a high capability to simulate the composite structures under shock loadings, which are reinforced by FGGPLs. It is shown that the modified micromechanical model and solution technique based on the meshless GFD method are accurate. Also, the time histories of the field variables are shown for various parameters.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.595-606
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• 2018

A calculation method was presented to calculate the deflection of GFRP-concrete-steel beams with full or partial shear connections. First, the sectional analysis method was improved by considering concrete nonlinearity and shear connection stiffness variation along the beam direction. Then the equivalent slip strain was used to take into consideration of variable cross-sections. Experiments and nonlinear finite element analysis were performed to validate the calculation method. The experimental results showed the deflection of composite beams could be accurately predicted by using the theoretical model or the finite element simulation. Furthermore, more finite element models were established to verify the accuracy of the theoretical model, which included different GFRP plates and different numbers of shear connectors. The theoretical results agreed well with the numerical results. In addition, parametric studies using theoretical method were also performed to find out the effect of parameters on the deflection. Based on the parametric studies, a simplified calculation formula of GFRP-concrete-steel composite beam was exhibited. In general, the calculation method could provide a more accurate theoretical result without complex finite element simulation, and serve for the further study of continuous GFRP-concrete-steel composite beams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1103-1117
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• 2015

It is known that material properties, connection quality and manufacturing methods are among the important factors directly affecting the behavior of steel connections and hence steel structures. The possible performance differences between a fabricated connection and its computer model may cause critical design problems for steel structures. Achieving a reliable design depends, however, on how accurately the material properties and relevant constitutive models are considered to characterize the behavior of structures. Conventionally, the stress and strain fields in structural steel connections are calculated using the finite elements method with assumed material properties and constitutive models. Because the conventional strain gages allow the measurement of deformation only at one point and direction for specific time duration, it is not possible to determine the general characteristics of stress-strain distributions in connections after the laboratory performance tests. In this study, a new method is introduced to measure displacement distribution of simple steel welded connections under tension tests. The method is based on analyzing digital images of connection specimens taken periodically during the laboratory tension test. By using this method, displacement distribution of steel connections can be calculated with an acceptable precision for the tested connections. Calculated displacements based on the digital image correlation method are compared with those calculated using the finite elements method.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.195-207
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• 2018

First-order reliability method (FORM) is enhanced based on the search direction using relaxed conjugate reliability (RCR) approach for the embedded nanocomposite beam under buckling failure mode. The RCR method is formulated using discrete conjugate map with a limited scalar factor. A dynamical relaxed factor is proposed to control instability of proposed RCR, which is adjusted using sufficient descent condition. The characteristic of equivalent materials for nanocomposite beam are obtained by micro-electro-mechanical model. The probabilistic model of nanocomposite beam is simulated using the sinusoidal shear deformation theory (SSDT). The beam is subjected to external applied voltage in thickness direction and the surrounding elastic medium is modeled by Pasternak foundation. The governing equations are derived in terms of energy method and Hamilton's principal. Using exact solution, the implicit buckling limit state function of nanocomposite beam is proposed, which is involved various random variables including thickness of beam, length of beam, spring constant of foundation, shear constant of foundation, applied voltage, and volume fraction of ZnO nanoparticles in polymer. The robustness, accuracy and efficiency of proposed RCR method are evaluated for this engineering structural reliability problem. The results demonstrate that proposed RCR method is more accurate and robust than the excising reliability methods-based FORM. The volume fraction of ZnO nanoparticles and the applied voltage are the sensitive variables on the reliable levels of the nanocomposite beams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.19-34
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• 2017

The widespread damage to steel Moment Resisting Frames (MRFs) in past major earthquakes have underscored the need to understand the nonlinear inelastic behaviour of such systems. To assess the seismic performance of steel MRF, it is essential to model the nonlinear force-deformation behaviour of beam to column joints. To determine the extent of inelasticity in a beam to column joint, nonlinear finite element analysis is generally carried out, which is computationally involved and demanding. In order to obviate the need of such elaborate analyses, a simplistic method to predict the force-deformation behaviour is required. In this study, a simple, mechanics driven, hand calculation method is proposed to obtain the forcedeformation behaviour of strong axis beam to column moment joints. The force-deformation behaviour for twenty-five interior and exterior beam to column joints, having column to beam strength ratios ranging from 1.2 to 10.99 and 2.4 to 22, respectively, have been obtained. The force-deformation behaviour predicted using the proposed method is compared with the results of finite element analyses. The results show that the proposed method predicts the force-deformation behaviour fairly accurately, with much lesser computational effort. Further the proposed method has been used to conduct Nonlinear Dynamic Time History Analyses of two benchmark frames; close correspondence of results obtained with published results establishes the usefulness and computational accuracy of the method.