• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.165-180
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• 2000

An analytical model with tension softening for the prediction of the capacity of prestressed concrete beams under pure torsion and under torsion combined with shear and flexure is introduced. The proposed approach employs bilinear stress-strain relationship with post cracking tension softening branch for the concrete in tension and special failure criteria for biaxial stress states. Further, for the solution of the governing equations a special numerical scheme is adopted which can be applied to elements with practically any cross-section since it utilizes a numerical mapping. The proposed method is mainly applied to plain prestressed concrete elements, but is also applicable to prestressed concrete beams with light transverse reinforcement. The aim of the present work is twofold; first, the validation of the approach by comparison between experimental results and analytical predictions and second, a parametrical study of the influence of concentric and eccentric prestressing on the torsional capacity of concrete elements and the interaction between torsion and shear for various levels of prestressing. The results of this investigation presented in the form of interaction curves, are compared to experimental results and code provisions.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.101-110
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• 2014

Expansion agent is a very effective admixture for prevention of cracking due to autogenous/drying shrinkage and this can induce internal chemical prestress to embedded reinforcement. In this paper, tension-softening and hardening in cement mortar with steel and CSA expansion agent are experimentally evaluated. Cement mortar with steel reinforcement is prepared and tensile strength test is performed for evaluation of cracking and tensile behavior. In spite of slightly reduced strength and elasticity in CSA mortar, significantly increased tension-hardening behavior is evaluated in CSA mortar with induced chemical prestress. Furthermore previous tension softening models are compared with the test results and improvement are proposed.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.44-51
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• 1998

It is well known that the fine bainitic microstructure obtained by TMCP(thermo-mechanical control process) secures the high toughness of base metal. Besides, TMCP steel is very suitable for high heat input in welding as it has low carbon equivalent. In HAZ, however, the accelerated cooling effect imparted on the matrix by the weld thermal cycles is relieved and thus the weldment of TMCP steel has softening zone which shows low fracture toughness compared with base metal. Therefore, PHWT of weldment is carried out to improve the fracture toughness in weldment of TMCP steel which has softening zone. In this study, the effects of PWHT on the weldment of AH36-TMCP steel are investigated by the small punch (SP) test. From the several results such as SP energy and displacement at room temperature, the behavior of transition curves, the fracture strength at -196$^{\circ}C$, distribution of (DBTT)sp and (DBTT)sp, the PWHT condition of A.C. after 85$0^{\circ}C$-1 sec W.C. was suitable condition for recovering a softening zone of HAZ as welded.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.323-359
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• 2015

This paper presents an elasto-plastic model for determination of the ground response curve of a circular underwater tunnel excavated in elastic-strain softening rock mass compatible with a nonlinear Hoek-Brown yield criterion. The finite difference method (FDM) was used to propose a new solution to calculate pore water pressure, stress, and strain distributions on periphery of circular tunnels in axisymmetric and plain strain conditions. In the proposed solution, a modified non-radial flow pattern, for the hydraulic analysis, is utilized. To evaluate the effect of gravitational loads and variations of pore water pressure, the equations concerning different directions around the tunnel (crown, wall, and floor) are derived. Regarding the strain-softening behavior of the rock mass, the stepwise method is executed for the plastic zone in which parameters of strength, dilatancy, stresses, strains, and deformation are different from their elasto-plastic boundary values as compared to the tunnel boundary values. Besides, the analytical equations are developed for the elastic zone. The accuracy and application of the proposed method is demonstrated by a number of examples. The results present the effects of seepage body forces, gravitational loads and dilatancy angle on ground response curve appropriately.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.553-564
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• 2020

In this study, a simple numerical approach for a circular tunnel opening in strain-softening surrounding rock is proposed considering out-of-plane stress and seepage force based on Biot's effective stress principle. The plastic region of strain-softening surrounding rock was divided into a finite number of concentric rings, of which the thickness was determined by the internal equilibrium equation. The increments of stress and strain for each ring, starting from the elastic-plastic interface, were obtained by successively incorporating the effect of out-of-plane stress and Biot's effective stress principle. The initial value of the outmost ring was determined using equilibrium and compatibility equations. Based on the Mohr-Coulomb (M-C) and generalized Hoek-Brown (H-B) failure criteria, the stress-increment approach for solving stress, displacement, and plastic radius was improved by considering the effects of Biot's effective stress principle and the nonlinear degradation of strength and deformation parameters in plastic zone incorporating out-of-plane stress. The correctness of the proposed approach is validated by numerical simulation.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.213-233
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• 2006

Over the past years techniques for non-linear analysis have been enhanced significantly via improved solution procedures, extended finite element techniques and increased robustness of constitutive models. Nevertheless, problems remain, especially for real world structures of softening materials like concrete. The softening gives negative stiffness and risk of bifurcations due to multiple cracks that compete to survive. Incremental-iterative techniques have difficulties in selecting and handling the local peaks and snap-backs. In this contribution, an alternative method is proposed. The softening diagram of negative slope is replaced by a saw-tooth diagram of positive slopes. The incremental-iterative Newton method is replaced by a series of linear analyses using a special scaling technique with subsequent stiffness/strength reduction per critical element. It is shown that this event-by-event strategy is robust and reliable. First, the model is shown to be objective with respect to mesh refinement. Next, the example of a large-scale dog-bone specimen in direct tension is analyzed using an isotropic version of the saw-tooth model. The model is capable of automatically providing the snap-back response. Subsequently, the saw-tooth model is extended to include anisotropy for fixed crack directions to accommodate both tensile cracking and compression strut action for reinforced concrete. Three different reinforced concrete structures are analyzed, a tension-pull specimen, a slender beam and a slab. In all cases, the model naturally provides the local peaks and snap-backs associated with the subsequent development of primary cracks starting from the rebar. The secant saw-tooth stiffness is always positive and the analysis always 'converges'. Bifurcations are prevented due to the scaling technique.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.17-28
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• 2007

Urban tunnels are usually important in terms of prediction and control of surface settlement, gradient and ground displacement. This paper has studied the application of strain softening analysis to predict deformation behavior of an urban NATM tunnel. The applied strain softening model considered the reduction of shear stiffness and strength parameter after yielding with strain softening effects of a given material. Measurements of surface subsidence and ground displacement were adopted to monitor the ground behavior resulting from the tunneling and to modify tunnel design. The numerical analysis results produced a strain distribution, deformational mechanism and surface settlement profile, which are in good agreement with the results of case study. The approach of strain softening modeling is expected to be a good prediction method on the ground displacement associated with NATM tunneling at shallow depth and soft ground.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.64-64
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• 2009

The use of ultra high strength steels (UTSS) is a natural result with increasing the demands for the lightweight materials and developing an innovative steel technology. Recently it has been used a 1500MPa grade hot stamping steel as automobile bodies, reinforcement parts, and seat frame parts in the automotive industry. It is a quenchenable steel manufactured by hot stamping process. It is well known that UTSS welding has softening in the heat affected zone(HAZ). Because welding is a sort of process applying heat, it should change the heat treated features and degrade the strength. This study was performed to investigate the influence of the heat input on the softening of the HAZ in the GMAW process. Each experiment was compared with that in the conditions having a different current and voltage at a same heat input. In order to analysis characteristics of the HAZ, optical microscope was used to observe microstructure and vickers hardness tests were carried out across the welds. Applying low heat input means a fast cooling rate. It leads to high hardness in the HAZ. It is found that characteristics of the HAZ are determined by microstructure obtained by different cooling rate.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.81-86
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• 1996

The physical properties of epoxy molding compound (EMC) according to the change of softening point of epoxy resin have been investigated in order to study the relationship between the properties of o-cresol novolac epoxy resin, which is main component of EMC for semiconductor encapsulation, and EMC. The softening points of used epoxy resin are 65.1 $^{\circ}C$, 72.2 $^{\circ}C$, and 83.0 $^{\circ}C$, respectively. The flexural strength and flexural modulus as mechanical properties were measured, and thermal expansion coefficient, thermal conductivity and glass transition temperature (Tg) as thermal properties, and spiral flow as moldability have been investigated to see the change of physical properties of EMC. The flexural modulus, thermal expansion coefficients in the glass state (${\alpha}_1$), and thermal conductivity of EMC were found to be keep constant value irrespective of the change of softening point, but Tg increased with softening point of epoxy resin, and the spiral flow decreased with that. It can be considered that these phenomena are due to the increase of crosslinking density of EMC according to the increase of softening point. The transition points were found out in the thermal expansion coefficient data in the rubbery state (${\alpha}_2$) and the flexural strength data. These can show the decrease of filler dispersion according to increase of epoxy resin viscosity.

• Laser Solutions
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1-6
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• 2010

Recently the use of ultra high strength steels (UHSS) in structural and safety component is rapidly increasing in the automotive industry. For example, 1.5GPa grade hot stamping with die-quenching of boron steel 22MnB5 could apply crash-resistant parts such as bumpers and pillars. The development of laser welding process of hot stamping steels, fundamental bead-on-plate welding and lap joint welding test were carried out using 3kW Nd:YAG laser. Local hardening & HAZ softening occurred in hot stamping steel as a result of metallurgical change caused by the welding heat input in the Nd:YAG laser welding process. The size of soft zones in the hot stamping steel was related to the welding heat input, being smaller at high speeds which generated a smaller heat input. Also in the case of lap joint design structure, same welded characteristics were shown. The HAZ softening degree was controlled to ensure the joint strength.