• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.59-68
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• 1997

A two-step method is presented for the optimum design of trusses with available sections under stress and Euler buckling constraints. The shape design of the truss is used as a means to convert the discrete solution into a continuous one. In the first step of the method, a continuous solution is obtained by sizing and shape design using an approximate polynomial expression for the buckling coefficients. In the second step, the member sizes obtained are changed to the nearest available sections and the truss is reconfigured by using the exact values for the buckling coefficients. The optimizer used is based on the sequential quadratic programming and the gradients are evaluated in closed form. The method is illustrated by two numerical examples.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.325-350
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• 2012

Concrete filled steel hollow structural sections (CFSs) are an efficient, sustainable, and attractive option for both ambient temperature and fire resistance design of columns in multi-storey buildings and are becoming increasingly common in modern construction practice around the world. Whilst the design of these sections at ambient temperatures is reasonably well understood, and models to predict the strength and failure modes of these elements at ambient temperatures correlate well with observations from tests, this appears not to be true in the case of fire resistant design. This paper reviews available data from furnace tests on CFS columns and assesses the statistical confidence in available fire resistance design models/approaches used in North America and Europe. This is done using a meta-analysis comparing the available experimental data from large-scale standard fire tests performed around the world against fire resistance predictions from design codes. It is shown that available design approaches carry a very large uncertainty of prediction, suggesting that they fail to properly account for fundamental aspects of the underlying thermal response and/or structural mechanics during fire. Current North American fire resistance design approaches for CFS columns are shown to be considerably less conservative, on average, than those used in Europe.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.34-34
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• 2010

Absolute electron-impact cross sections for molecular targets including their radicals are important in developing plasma reactors and testing various plasma processing gases. However, low-energy electron collision data for these gases are sparse and only the limited cross section data are available. In this presentation, the methods and the status of measurements of, mainly, absolute elastic cross sections for electron-polyatomic molecule collisions will be discussed with recent results from Chungnam National University. Elastic cross sections are essential for the absolute scale conversion of inelastic cross sections, as well as for testing computational methods.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.519-540
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• 2009

This paper presents the results of a study into experimental and numerical methods for the identification of bridge deck flutter derivatives. Nine bridge deck sections were investigated in a water tunnel in order to create an empirical reference set for numerical investigations. The same sections, plus a wide range of further sections, were studied numerically using a commercially available CFD code. The experimental and numerical results were compared with respect to accuracy, sensitivity, and practical suitability. Furthermore, the relevance of the effective angle of attack, the possible assessment of non-critical vibrations, and the formulation of lateral vibrations were studied. Selected results are presented in this paper. The full set of raw data is available online to provide researchers and engineers with a comprehensive benchmarking tool.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.11
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• pp.4026-4031
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• 2023

In this article, we report a new empirical formula for quick calculation of cross sections of (n, α) reactions with 14-15 MeV neutrons. Cross sections are analysed in terms of the compound nucleus model. A systematic trend for 14-15 MeV neutrons is found in the variation of (n, α) reaction cross sections with the parameters (N - Z + 1), (E_n + Q)^0.5 and N/Z. The empirical relation between the cross sections and these parameters has been obtained, which give fairly good fits with the experimental data. We have also investigated the odd-even effects on (n, α) cross sections considering binding energy systematic of the shell model. The present formula is very useful in predicting of the (n, α) cross sections, where the measurements are not available as well as in testing new experimental data.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1990.10a
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• pp.95-100
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• 1990

An optimization method has been developed to find the minimum weight design of steel building structures which consist of the commercially available discrete sections. In this study, an emphasis was particularly placed on the practical applicability of optimization algorithm in engineering practice. The structure Is optimized through element optimization under the element level constraints first and then, if there is any violation of structural level constraints, it is adequately compensated by the constraint error correction vector obtained through the sensitivity analysis. A scaling procedure is introduced for the problems of large violated displacement constraint. The oscillation control in the objective function is also discussed. By dividing the available H-sections into two groups based on their section characteristics, much improved relationships between section variables were obtained and used efficiently in searching the optimum section in the section table.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.71-89
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• 2012

The paper investigates beam lateral buckling stability according to linear and non-linear models. Closed form solutions for single-symmetric cross sections are first derived according to a non-linear model considering flexural-torsional coupling and pre-buckling deformation effects. The closed form solutions are compared to a beam finite element developed in large torsion. Effects of pre-buckling deflection and gradient moment on beam stability are not well known in the literature. The strength of singly symmetric I-beams under gradient moments is particularly investigated. Beams with T and I cross-sections are considered in the study. It is concluded that pre-buckling deflections effects are important for I-section with large flanges and analytical solutions are possible. For beams with T-sections, lateral buckling resistance depends not only on pre-buckling deflection but also on cross section shape, load distribution and buckling modes. Effects of pre-buckling deflections are important only when the largest flange is under compressive stresses and positive gradient moments. For negative gradient moments, all available solutions fail and overestimate the beam strength. Numerical solutions are more powerful. Other load cases are investigated as the stability of continuous beams. Under arbitrary loads, all available solutions fail, and recourse to finite element simulation is more efficient.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2001

Due to aesthetic, economic, and structural performance, the use of structural hollow sections as columns in both continuous moment resisting and nominally pinned construction is attractive. Connecting the beams to these sections is somewhat problematic as there is no access to the interior of the section to allow for the tightening of a standard bolt. Therefore, bolts that may be tightened from one side, i.e., blind bolts, have been developed to facilitate the use of site bolting for this arrangement. This paper critically reviews available information concerning blind bolting technology, especially the performance of fasteners in shear, tension, and moment resisting connections. Also provided is an explanation of the way in which the results have been incorporated into design guidance covering the particular case of nominally pinned connections. For moment resisting connections, it is concluded that whilst the principle has been adequately demonstrated, sufficient data are currently not available to permit the provision of authoritative design guidance. In addition, inherent flexibilities in the connections mean that performance equivalent to full strength and rigid is unlikely to be achievable: a semicontinuous approach to frame design will therefore be necessary.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.73-92
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• 2012

The effect of element interaction and material nonlinearity on the ultimate capacity of stainless steel plated cross-sections is investigated in this paper. The focus of the research lies in cross-sections failing by local buckling; member instabilities, distortional buckling and interactions thereof with local buckling are not considered. The cross-sections investigated include rectangular hollow sections (RHS), I sections and parallel flange channels (PFC). Based on previous finite element investigations of structural stainless steel stub columns, parametric studies were conducted and the ultimate capacity of the aforementioned cross-sections with a range of element slendernesses and aspect ratios has been obtained. Various design methods, including the effective width approach, the direct strength method (DSM), the continuous strength method (CSM) and a design method based on regression analysis, which accounts for element interaction, were assessed on the basis of the numerical results, and the relative merits and weaknesses of each design approach have been highlighted. Element interaction has been shown to be significant for slender cross-sections, whilst the behaviour of stocky cross-sections is more strongly influenced by the material strain-hardening characteristics. A modification to the continuous strength method has been proposed to allow for the effect of element interaction, which leads to more reliable ultimate capacity predictions. Comparisons with available test data have also been made to demonstrate the enhanced accuracy of the proposed method and its suitability for the treatment of local buckling in stainless steel cross-sections.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.19-33
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• 2005

An improved shear deformable thin-walled curved beam theory to overcome the drawback of currently available beam theories is newly proposed for the spatially coupled free vibration and elastic analysis. For this, the displacement field considering the shear deformation effects is presented by introducing displacement parameters defined at the centroid and shear center axes. Next the elastic strain and kinetic energies considering the shear effects due to the shear forces and the restrained warping torsion are rigorously derived. Then the equilibrium equations are consistently derived for curved beams with non-symmetric thin-walled sections. It should be noticed that this formulation can be easily reduced to the warping-free beam theory by simply putting the sectional properties associated with warping to zero for curved beams with L- or T-shaped sections. Finally in order to illustrate the validity and the accuracy of this study, finite element solutions using the isoparametric curved beam elements are presented and compared with those in available references and ABAQUS's shell elements.