• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.469-488
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• 2008

Finite element methods have often been used for structural analyses of various mechanical problems. When finite element analyses are utilized to resolve mechanical systems, numerical uncertainties in the initial data such as structural parameters and loading conditions may result in uncertainties in the structural responses. Therefore the initial data have to be as accurate as possible in order to obtain reliable structural analysis results. The typical finite element method may not properly represent discrete systems when using uncertain data, since all input data of material properties and applied loads are defined by nominal values. An interval finite element analysis, which uses the interval arithmetic as introduced by Moore (1966) is proposed as a non-stochastic method in this study and serves a new numerical tool for evaluating the uncertainties of the initial data in structural analyses. According to this method, the element stiffness matrix includes interval terms of the lower and upper bounds of the structural parameters, and interval change functions are devised. Numerical uncertainties in the initial data are described as a tolerance error and tree graphs of uncertain data are constructed by numerical uncertainty combinations of each parameter. The structural responses calculated by all uncertainty cases can be easily estimated so that structural safety can be included in the design. Numerical applications of truss and frame structures demonstrate the efficiency of the present method with respect to numerical analyses of structural uncertainties.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.267-280
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• 2022

Multiscale structure has attracted significant interest due to its high stiffness/strength to weight ratios and multifunctional performance. However, most of the existing concurrent topology optimization works are carried out under deterministic load conditions. Hence, this paper proposes a robust concurrent topology optimization method based on the bidirectional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method for the design of structures composed of periodic microstructures subjected to uncertain dynamic loads. The robust objective function is defined as the weighted sum of the mean and standard deviation of the module of dynamic structural compliance with constraints are imposed to both macro- and microscale structure volume fractions. The polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) method is used to quantify and propagate load uncertainty to evaluate the objective function. The effective properties of microstructure is evaluated by the numerical homogenization method. To release the computation burden, the decoupled sensitivity analysis method is proposed for microscale design variables. The proposed method is a non-intrusive method, and it can be conveniently extended to many topology optimization problems with other distributions. Several numerical examples are used to validate the effectiveness of the proposed robust concurrent topology optimization method.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.45-65
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• 2010

There has been tighten up the need of seismic retrofit about 31 public facilites since published "Korean Earthquake Damage Prevention Law". Therefore, seismic studies have been developed and enforced the studies. Measuring dynamic stiffness of subsurface materials influence on seismic performance evaluation to build up seismic retrofit. The soil dynamic properties for seismic performance evaluation are N-value from using SPT(standard penetration test), dynamic shear elastic modulus and dynamic deformation modulus using laboratory tests. The most unscientific element in ground dynamic properties involved uncertainties is obviously N-value using SPT. This study shows that effect of N-value included natural and artificial uncertainties to seismic performance evaluation of ground structures is not only approached probabilistic analysis using FOSM method and tornado diagram, but also review how to spread effect of seismic performance evaluation of ground structures.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.135-146
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• 1991

This paper shows the infinite horizon model of Partially Observable Markov Decision Process with lagged information. The lagged information is uncertain delayed observation of the process under control. Even though the optimal policy of the model exists, finding the optimal policy is very time consuming. Thus, the aim of this study is to find an .eplison.-optimal stationary policy minimizing the expected discounted total cost of the model. .EPSILON.- optimal policy is found by using a modified version of the well known policy iteration algorithm. The modification focuses to the value determination routine of the algorithm. Some properties of the approximation functions for the expected discounted cost of a stationary policy are presented. The expected discounted cost of a stationary policy is approximated based on these properties. A numerical example is also shown.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1379-1394
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• 2002

In case of a single input single output (SISO) system with a nonlinear term, a signal compression method is useful to identify a system because the equivalent impulse response of linear part from the system can be extracted by the method. However even though the signal compression method is useful to estimate uncertain parameters of the system, the method cannot be directly applied to a unique system with hysteresis characteristics because it cannot estimate all of the two different dynamic properties according to its motion direction. This paper proposes a signal compression method with a pre-processor to identify a unique system with two different dynamics according to its motion direction. The pre-processor plays a role of separating expansion and retraction properties from the system with hysteresis characteristics. For evaluating performance of the proposed approach, a simulation to estimate the assumed unknown parameters for an arbitrary known model is carried out. A motion platform with several single-rod cylinders is a representative unique system with two different dynamics, because each single-rod cylinder has expansion and retraction dynamic properties according to its motion direction. The nominal constant parameters of the motion platform are experimentally identified by using the proposed method. As its application, the identified parameters are applied to a design of a sliding mode controller for the simulator.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.369-380
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• 2001

Although extensive efforts have been devoted to the optimal design of composite laminated plates in recent years, some practical issues still need further research. Two of them are: the handling of the ply angle as either continuous or discrete; and that of the uncertainties in material properties, which were treated as continuous and ignored respectively in most researches in the past. In this paper, an algorithm for stacking sequence optimization which deals with discrete ply angles and that for thickness optimization which considers uncertainties in material properties are used for a two step optimization of composite laminated plates. In the stacking sequence optimization, the branch and bound method is modified to handle discrete variables; and in the thickness optimization, the convex modeling is used in calculating the failure criterion, given as constraint, to consider the uncertain material properties. Numerical results show that the optimal stacking sequence is found with fewer evaluations of objective function than expected with the size of feasible region taken into consideration; and the optimal thickness increases when the uncertainties of elastic moduli considered, which shows such uncertainties should not be ignored for safe and reliable designs.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.71 no.2
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• pp.197-210
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• 2019

Probabilistic buckling behavior of sandwich panel considering random system parameters using a radial basis function (RBF) approach is presented in this paper. The random system properties result in an uncertain response of the sandwich structure. The buckling load of laminated sandwich panel is obtained by employing higher-order-zigzag theory (HOZT) coupled with RBF and probabilistic finite element (FE) model. The in-plane displacement variation of core as well as facesheet is considered to be cubic while transverse displacement is considered to be quadratic within the core and constant in the facesheets. Individual and combined stochasticity in all elemental input parameters (like facesheets thickness, ply-orientation angle, core thickness and properties of material) are considered to know the effect of different degree of stochasticity, ply- orientation angle, boundary conditions, core thickness, number of laminates, and material properties on global response of the structure. In order to achieve the computational efficiency, RBF model is employed as a surrogate to the original finite element model. The stiffness matrix of global response is stored in a single array using skyline technique and simultaneous iteration technique is used to solve the stochastic buckling equations.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.649-654
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• 2005

Shallow slope failures in residual soil during periods of prolonged infiltration are common over the world. One of the key factors that dominate slope stability is hydrological response associated with infiltration. Hence, the soil-water profile during rainfall infiltration into unsaturated soil must me examined to evaluate slope stability. However, the hydraulic response of unsaturated soil is complicated by inherent uncertainties of the soil hydraulic properties. This study presents a methodology for assessing the effects of parameter uncertainty of hydraulic properties on the response of a analytical infiltration model using first-order reliability method. The unsaturated soil properties are considered as uncertain variables with means, standard deviations, and marginal probability distributions. Sensitivities of the probabilistic outcome to the basic uncertainties in the input random variables are provided through importance factors.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.739-759
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• 2016

The failure of civil engineering systems is a consequence of decision making under uncertain conditions. Generally, buried flexible pipes are designed for their transversal behavior to prevent from the important failure mode of buckling. However, the interaction effects between soil and pipe are neglected and the uncertainties in their properties are usually not considered in pipe design. In this regard, the present research paper evaluates the effects of these uncertainties on the uncertainty of the critical buckling hoop force of flexible pipes shallowly buried using the subgrade reaction theory (Winkler model) and First-Order Second-Moment (FOSM) method. The results show that the structural uncertainties of the studied pipes and those of the soil properties have a significant effect on the uncertainty of the critical buckling hoop force, and therefore taking into account these latter in the design of the shallowly flexible pipes for their buckling behavior is required.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.527-546
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• 2016

This paper discusses improvements of compressibility, permeability, static and liquefaction strengths of in-situ soils by grouting. Both field testing and laboratory evaluation of the on-site samples were conducted. The improvement of soils was influenced by two main factors, i.e., the grout materials and the injection mechanisms introduced by the field grouting. On-site grout mapping revealed the major mechanism was fracturing accompanied with some permeation at deeper zones of sandy soils, where long-gel time suspension grout and solution grout were applied. The study found the compressibility and swelling potential of CL soils at a 0.5 m distance to grout hole could be reduced by 25% and 50%, respectively, due to the grouting. The effect on hydraulic conductivity of the CL soils appeared insignificant. The grouting slightly improved the cohesion of the CL soils by 10~15 kPa, and the friction angle appeared unaffected. The grouting had also improved the cohesion of the on-site SM soils by 10~90 kPa, while influences on the friction angle of soils were uncertain. Liquefaction resistances could be enhanced for the sandy soils within a 2~3 m extent to the grout hole. Average improvements of 40% and 20% on the liquefaction resistance were achievable for the sandy soils for earthquake magnitudes of 6 and ${\geq}7.5$, respectively, by the grouting.