• International Journal of Reliability and Applications
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.125-150
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• 2014

Accelerated life tests (ALTs) are extensively used to determine the reliability of a product in a short period of time. Test units are subject to elevated stresses which yield quick failures. ALT can be carried out using constant-stress, step-stress, progressive-stress, cyclic-stress or random-stress loading and their various combinations. An ALT with linearly increasing stress is ramp-stress test. Much of the previous work on planning ALTs has focused on constant-stress, step-stress, ramp-stress schemes and their various combinations where the stress is generally increased. This paper presents an optimal design of ramp soak-stress ALT model which is based on the principle of Thermal cycling. Thermal cycling involves applying high and low temperatures repeatedly over time. The optimal plan consists in finding out relevant experimental variables, namely, stress rates and stress rate change points, by minimizing variance of reliability function with pre-specified mission time under normal operating conditions. The Burr type XII life distribution and time-censored data have been used for the purpose. Burr type XII life distribution has been found appropriate for accelerated life testing experiments. The method developed has been explained using a numerical example and sensitivity analysis carried out.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.675-689
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• 2006

In structural analysis of tall buildings the traditional primary loading analysis approach that assumes all the loads are simultaneously applied to the fully built structure has been shown to be unsuitable by many researches. The construction sequential analysis that reflects the fact of the level-by-level construction of tall buildings can provide more reliable results and has been used more and more. However, too much computational cost has prevented the construction sequential analysis from its application in CAD/CAE software for building structures, since such an approach needs to deal with systematic changing of resultant stiffness matrices following level-by-level construction. This paper firstly analyzes the characteristics of assembling and triangular factorization of the stiffness matrix in the finite element model of the construction sequential analysis, then presents a fast construction sequential analysis strategy and a corresponding step-by-step active column solver by means of improving the existing skyline solver. The new strategy avoids considerably repeated calculation by only working on the latest appended and modified part of resultant stiffness matrices in each construction level. Without any simplification, the strategy guarantees accuracy while efficiency is greatly enhanced. The numerical tests show that the proposed strategy can be implemented with high efficiency in practical engineering design.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.362-367
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• 2008

In the present work, we address electric fatigue behavior in bending piezoelectric actuators using an acoustic emission technique. Electric cyclic fatigue tests have been performed up to ten million cycles on the fabricated specimens. To confirm the fatigue damage onset and its pathway, the source location and distributions of the AE behavior in terms of count rate are analyzed over the fatigue range. It is concluded that electric cyclic loading leads to fatigue damages such as transgranular damages and intergranular cracking in the surface of the PZT ceramic layer, and intergranular cracking even develops into the PZT inner layer, thereby degrading the displacement performance. The electric-induced fatigue behavior seems to show not a continuous process but a step-by-step process because of the brittleness of PZT ceramic. Nevertheless, this fatigue damage and cracking do not cause the final failure of the bending piezoelectric actuator loaded up to 107 cycles. Investigations of the AE behavior and the linear AE source location reveal that the onset time of the fatigue damage varies considerably depending on the existence of a glass-epoxy protecting layer.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.73-79
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• 2015

PURPOSE: This study aims to examine the impact of the location of a walker-aid pocket that is attached to the walker while walking. METHODS: The research subjects included 10 male adults and 10 elderly people. The subjects used a two-wheeled walker for the walking analysis, and a firm velcro-type pocket that can be attached to the walker aid was used for weight loading. The size of the external loads was set at 2kg, which corresponds to approximately 2.5% of the mean body weight of the subjects. The pocket was attached to the left, center, and right sides of the walker aid. Stride length, stride, step width, and time were investigated according to the location change. RESULTS: No statistical differences were observed in all the walking factors among the adults and elderly people regardless of the changes in the location of the walker pocket. In cases of no weight and the 2kg walker pocket, stride length and strides were longer for the adults, while the step width was greater and walking time was longer for the elderly people. CONCLUSION: The weight of the walker pocket turn out to retard walking speed, although the location of the walker pocket is not affect walking with the walker-aid.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.106-116
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• 1989

This study aims at scrutinizing the long4errn consolidation characteristics of peats sampled at three different regions of Chonbuk province. The standard consolidation test and the single load consolidation test were performed about these samples and especially in case of the latter the loading period was 350 days. The main condusions analyzed are as follows. 1. Void ratio showed much greater values than that of the general clay and was decresed greatly according to the increase of the load. 2. In case of the relationship between the sefflement and the long-term settlement time the rate of settlement increment became great according to the increase of the load step and the long4erm settlement became linely proportional to the logarithm of time alter 10 minutes. 3. The linear correlation was showed between the long4erm settlement time and the void ratio and therefore equations by regression analysis were derived in order to estimate the long-term settlement The slope of straight lines increased according th the increase of the load step and secondary consolidation coefficients ranged from 0.04-0.27. 4. The secondary consolidation coeffcient became linealy proportional to the compression index and the ratio of Ca to CC was 0.072. 5. The period required in ending the primary consolidation was about 10 minutes and alter that the secondary consolidation coefficient appeared to have constant value. Therefore the secondary consolidation coefficient was judged to be used as a significant factor in estimating the long4erm settlement. 6. In case of the single load consolidation test the secondary consolidation coefficient showed the tendancy increasing according to the increase of the consolidation pressure.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1197-1214
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• 2015

There is a great difference in mechanical behavior between design model one-time loading and step-by-step construction process. This paper presents practical computational methods for simulating the structural behavior of long-span rigid steel structures during construction processes. It introduces the positioning principle of node rectification for installation which is especially suitable for rigid long-span steel structures. Novel improved nonlinear analytical methods, known as element birth and death of node rectification, are introduced based on several calculating methods, as well as a forward iteration of node rectification method. These methods proposed in this paper can solve the problem of element's 'floating' and can be easily incorporated in commercial finite element software. These proposed methods were eventually implemented in the computer simulation and analysis of the main stadium for the Universiade Sports Center during the construction process. The optimum construction scheme of the structure is determined by the improved algorithm and the computational results matched well with the measured values in the project, thus indicating that the novel nonlinear time-varying analysis approach is effective construction simulation of complex rigid long-span steel structures and provides useful reference for future design and construction.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.741-758
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• 2013

In this study, inelastic displacement ratios are investigated for existing systems with known lateral strength considering soil structure interaction. For this purpose, SDOF systems for period range of 0.1-3.0 s with different hysteretic behaviors are considered for a number of 18 earthquake motions recorded on soft soil. The effect of stiffness degradation on inelastic displacement ratios is investigated. The Modified Clough model is used to represent structures that exhibit significant stiffness degradation when subjected to reverse cyclic loading and the elastoplastic model is used to represent non-degrading structures. Soil structure interaction analyses are conducted by means of equivalent fixed base model effective period, effective damping and effective ductility values differing from fixed-base case. For inelastic time history analyses, Newmark method for step by step time integration was adapted in an in-house computer program. A new equation is proposed for inelastic displacement ratio of system with SSI with elastoplastic or degrading behavior as a function of structural period ($\tilde{T}$), strength reduction factor (R) and period lengthening ratio ($\tilde{T}$/T). The proposed equation for $\tilde{C}_R$ which takes the soil-structure interaction into account should be useful in estimating the inelastic deformation of existing structures with known lateral strength.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.675-689
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• 2012

Most connections of steel structures exhibit flexible behaviour under cyclic loading. The flexible connections can be assumed as nonlinear rotational springs attached to the ends of each beam. The nonlinear behaviour of the connections can be considered by suitable moment-rotation relationship. Time-history analysis by direct integration method can be used as a powerful technique to determine the nonlinear dynamic response of the structure. In conventional numerical integration, the response is evaluated for a series of short time increments. The limitations on the size of time intervals can be removed by using Chen and Robinson improved time history analysis method, in which the integrated displacements are used as the new variables in integrated equation of motion. The proposed method permits longer time intervals and reduces the computational works. In this paper the nonlinearity behaviour of the structure is summarized on the connections, and the step by step improved time-history analysis is used to calculate the dynamic response of the structure. Several numerical calculations which indicate the applicability and advantages of the proposed methodology are presented. These calculations illustrate the importance of the effect of the nonlinear behaviour of the flexible connections in the calculation of the dynamic response of steel frames.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.566-594
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• 2000

In most LMFBR(Liquid Metal Fast Breed Reactor) design, the operating temperature is very high and the time-dependent creep and stress-rupture effects become so important in reactor structural design. Therefore, unlike with conventional PWR, the normal operating conditions can be basically dominant design loading because the hold time at elevated temperature condition is so long and enough to result in severe total creep ratcheting strains during total service lifetime. In this paper, elevated temperature design of the conceptually designed baffle annulus regions of KALIMER(Korea Advanced Liquid MEtal Reactor) reactor internal strictures is carried out for normal operating conditions which have the operating temperature 53$0^{\circ}C$ and the total service lifetime of 30 years. For the elevated temperature design of reactor internal structures, the ASME Code Case N-201-4 is used. Using this code, the time-dependent stress limits, the accumulated total inelastic strain during service lifetime, and the creep-fatigue damages are evaluated with the calculation results by the elastic analysis under conservative assumptions. The application procedures of elevated temperature design of the reactor internal structures using ASME Code Case N-201-4 with the elastic analysis method are described step by step in detail. This paper will be useful guide for actual application of elevated temperature design of various reactor types accounting for creep and stress-rupture effects.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.531-544
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• 2014

Studies of earthquakes over the last 50 years and the examination of dynamic soil behavior reveal that soil behavior is highly nonlinear and hysteretic even at small strains. Nonlinear behavior of soils during a seismic event has a predominant role in current site response analysis approaches. Common approaches to ground response analysis include linear, equivalent linear and nonlinear methods. These methods of ground response analysis may also be categorized into time domain and frequency domain concepts. Simplicity in developing analytical relations and accuracy in considering soils' dynamic properties dependency to loading frequency are benefits of frequency domain analysis. On the other hand, nonlinear methods are complicated and time consuming mainly because of their step by step integrations in time intervals. In part Ι of this paper, governing equations for seismic response analysis of surcharged and layered soils were developed using fundamental of wave propagation theory based on transfer function and boundary conditions. In this part, nonlinear seismic ground response is analyzed using extended HFTD method. The extended HFTD method benefits Newton-Raphson procedure which applies regular iterations and follows soils' fundamental stress-strain curve until convergence is achieved. The nonlinear HFTD approach developed here are applied to some examples presented in this part of the paper. Case studies are carried in which effects of some influencing parameters on the response are investigated. Results show that the current approach is sufficiently accurate, efficient, and fast converging. Discussions on the results obtained are presented throughout this part of the paper.