• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.425-436
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• 2014

Although the strut-tie model approaches of current design codes are regarded as the valuable methods for designs of structural concretes with D-regions, the approaches have to be improved because of the uncertainties in terms of the concepts and provisions for designs of 3-dimensional structural concretes. To improve the uncertainties, a new strut-tie model approach is proposed in this study. In the proposed approach, the concepts of employing a 3-dimensional grid element allowing load transfers in all directions at a node to construct a strut-tie model, a numerical analysis approach to determine the effective strengths of concrete struts and nodal zones by reflecting the effects of reinforcing bars and 3-dimensional stress state, and maximum areas of struts and ties to examine their load carrying capacities are integrated into the strut-tie model approaches of current design codes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2014.10a
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• pp.557-561
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• 2014

In this work, Altair Engineering's vibroacoustic modeling approach is used to simulate the acoustic signature of a simplified automobile in a wind tunnel. The modeling approach relies on a two step procedure involving simulation and extraction of acoustic sources using a high fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation followed by propagation of the acoustic energy within the structure and passenger compartment using a structural dynamics solver. The tools necessary to complete this process are contained within Altair's HyperWorks CAE software suite. The CFD simulations are performed using AcuSolve and the structural simulations are performed using OptiStruct. This vibroacoustics simulation methodology relies on calculation of the acoustic sources from the flow solution computed by AcuSolve. The sources are based on Lighthill's analogy and are sampled directly on the acoustic mesh. Once the acoustic sources have been computed, they are transformed into the frequency domain using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) with advanced sampling and are subsequently used in the structural acoustics model. Although this approach does require the CFD solver to have knowledge of the acoustic simulation domain a priori, it avoids modeling errors introduced by evaluation of the acoustic source terms using dissimilar meshes and numerical methods. The aforementioned modeling approach is demonstrated on the Hyundai Simplified Model (HSM) geometry in this work. This geometry contains flow features that are representative of the dominant noise sources in a typical automobile design; namely vortex shedding from the passenger compartment A-pillar and bluff body shedding from the side view mirrors. The geometry also contains a thick poroelastic material on the interior that acts to reduce the acoustic noise. This material is modeled using a Biot material formulation during the structural acoustic simulation. Successful prediction of the acoustic noise within the HSM geometry serves to validate the vibroacoustic modeling approach for automotive applications.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.359-366
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• 2005

Most engineering optimization are based on numerical linear and nonlinear programming methods that require substantial gradient information and usually seek to improve the solution in the neighborhood of a starting point. These algorithm, however, reveal a limited approach to complicated real-world optimization problems. If there is more than one local optimum in the problem, the result may depend on the selection of an initial point, and the obtained optimal solution may not necessarily be the global optimum. This paper describes a new harmony search(HS) meta-heuristic algorithm-based approach for structural size optimization problems with continuous design variables. This recently developed HS algorithm is conceptualized using the musical process of searching for a perfect state of harmony. It uses a stochastic random search instead of a gradient search so that derivative information is unnecessary. Two classical space truss optimization problems are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the HS algorithm. The results indicate that the proposed approach is a powerful search and optimization technique that may yield better solutions to structural engineering problems than those obtained using current algorithms.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2007

Once assessment of material failure characteristics is captured precisely in a unified way, it can bedirectly incorporated into the structural failure assessment under various loading environments, based on the theoretical backgrounds so called Local Approach to Fracture. The aim of this study is to develop a numerical fatigue test method by continuum damage mechanics applicable for the assessment of structural integrity throughout crack initiation and structural failure based on the Local Approach to Fracture. The generalized elasto-visco-plastic constitutive equation, which can consider the internal damage evolution behavior, is developed and employed in the 3-D FEA code in order to numerically evaluate the material and/or structural responses. Explicit information of the relationships between the mechanical properties and material constants, which are required for the mechanical constitutive and damage evolution equations for each material, are implemented in numerical fatigue test method. The material constants selected from constitutive equations are used directly in the failure assessment of material and/or structures. The performance of the developed system has been evaluated with assessing the S-N diagram of stainless steel materials.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.419-444
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• 2014

Within this paper a new approach for early damage detection in rotor blades of wind energy converters is presented, which is shown to have a more sensitive reaction to damage than eigenfrequency-based methods. The new approach is based on the extension of Gasch's proportionality method, according to which maximum oscillation velocity and maximum stress are proportional by a factor, which describes the dynamic behavior of the structure. A change in the proportionality factor can be used as damage indicator. In addition, a novel deflection sensor was developed, which was specifically designed for use in wind turbine rotor blades. This deflection sensor was used during the experimental tests conducted for the measurement of the blade deflection. The method was applied on numerical models for different damage cases and damage extents. Additionally, the method and the sensing concept were applied on a real 50.8 m blade during a fatigue test in the edgewise direction. During the test, a damage of 1.5 m length was induced on the upper trailing edge bondline. Both the initial damage and the increase of its length were successfully detected by the decrease of the proportionality factor. This decrease coincided significantly with the decrease of the factor calculated from the numerical analyses.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.445-470
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• 2016

In this study, the Bayesian probabilistic framework is investigated for modal identification and modal identifiability based on the field measurements provided in the structural health monitoring benchmark problem of an instrumented cable-stayed bridge named Ting Kau Bridge (TKB). The comprehensive structural health monitoring system on the cable-stayed TKB has been operated for more than ten years and it is recognized as one of the best test-beds with readily available field measurements. The benchmark problem of the cable-stayed bridge is established to stimulate investigations on modal identifiability and the present paper addresses this benchmark problem from the Bayesian prospective. In contrast to deterministic approaches, an appealing feature of the Bayesian approach is that not only the optimal values of the modal parameters can be obtained but also the associated estimation uncertainty can be quantified in the form of probability distribution. The uncertainty quantification provides necessary information to evaluate the reliability of parametric identification results as well as modal identifiability. Herein, the Bayesian spectral density approach is conducted for output-only modal identification and the Bayesian model class selection approach is used to evaluate the significance of different modes in modal identification. Detailed analysis on the modal identification and modal identifiability based on the measurements of the bridge will be presented. Moreover, the advantages and potentials of Bayesian probabilistic framework on structural health monitoring will be discussed.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.403-425
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• 2015

This work is focused on the definition and the analysis of both complete and incomplete similitudes for the dynamic responses of thin shells. Previous numerical and experimental investigations on both structural and structural-acoustic systems motivated this further analysis, mainly centred on the incomplete (distorted) similitudes. These similitudes and the associated scaling laws are defined by using the classical modal approach (CMA) and by invoking also the Energy Distribution Approach (EDA) in order to take into account both the cinematic and energetic items. The whole procedure is named SAMSARA: Similitude and Asymptotic Models for Structural-Acoustic Research and Applications. A brief summary of the procedure is herein given and the attention is paid to the analytical models of thin stiffened and unstiffened cylindrical shells. By using the well-known smeared model, the stiffened cylinder equations are used as general framework to analyse the possibility to define exact (replicas) or distorted similitudes (avatars). Despite the extreme simplicity of the proposed models, the results are really encouraging. The final aim is to define equivalent models to be used in laboratory measurements.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.61-73
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• 2023

In this article, a novel structural modal parameters identification methodology is developed to determine the natural frequencies and damping ratios of civil structures based on the symplectic geometry mode decomposition (SGMD) approach. The SGMD approach is a new decomposition algorithm that can decompose the complex response signals with better decomposition performance and robustness. The novel method firstly decomposes the measured structural vibration response signals into individual mode components using the SGMD approach. The natural excitation technique (NExT) method is then used to obtain the free vibration response of each individual mode component. Finally, modal natural frequencies and damping ratios are identified using the direct interpolating (DI) method and a curve fitting function. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated based on numerical simulation and field measurement. The structural modal parameters are identified utilizing the simulated non-stationary responses of a frame structure and the field measured non-stationary responses of a supertall building during a typhoon. The results demonstrate that the developed method can identify the natural frequencies and damping ratios of civil structures efficiently and accurately.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.425-445
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• 2015

Parametric identification of structures is one of the important aspects of structural health monitoring. Most of the techniques available in the literature have been proved to be effective for structures with small degree of freedoms. However, the problem becomes challenging when the structure system is large, such as bridge structures. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop parametric identification methods that are applicable to complex structures. In this paper, the LSE based techniques will be combined with the substructure approach for identifying the parameters of a cable-stayed bridge with large degree of freedoms. Numerical analysis has been carried out for substructures extracted from the 2-dimentional (2D) finite element model of a cable-stayed bridge. Only vertical white noise excitations are applied to the structure, and two different cases are considered where the structural damping is not included or included. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach is capable of identifying the structural parameters with high accuracy without measurement noises.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.1157-1176
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• 2014

The objective of this research is to develop a practical design and assessment approach of steel frames with steel slit walls (SSWs) that focuses on the damage-control behavior to enhance the structural resilience. The yielding sequence of SSWs and frame components is found to be a critical issue for the damage-control behavior and the design of systems. The design concept is validated by the full-scale experiments presented in this paper. Based on a modified energy-balance model, a procedure for designing and assessing the system motivated by the framework regarding the equilibrium of the energy demand and the energy capacity is proposed. The damage-control spectra constructed by strength reduction factors calculated from single-degree-of-freedom systems considering the post stiffness are addressed. A quantitative damage-control index to evaluate the system is also derived. The applicability of the proposed approach is validated by the evaluation of example structures with nonlinear dynamic analyses. The observations regarding the structural response and the prediction during selected ground motions demonstrate that the proposed approach can be applied to damage-control design and assessment of systems with satisfactory accuracy.