• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.253-262
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• 2007

A methodology to design symmetrically laminated fibre-reinforced structures under transverse loads for minimum weight, with manufacturing uncertainty in the ply angle, is described. The ply angle and the ply thickness are the design variables, and the Tsai-Wu failure criteria is the design constraint implemented. It is assumed that the probability of any tolerance value occurring within the tolerance band, compared with any other, is equal, and thus the approach is a worst-case scenario approach. The finite element method, based on Mindlin plate and shell theory, is implemented, and thus effects like bending-twisting coupling are accounted for. The Golden Section method is used as the search algorithm, but the methodology is flexible enough to allow any appropriate finite element formulation, search algorithm and failure criterion to be substituted. In order to demonstrate the procedure, laminated plates with varying aspect ratios and boundary conditions are optimally designed and compared.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.479-491
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• 2006

This paper deals with optimal fibre orientations of symmetrically laminated fibre reinforced composite structures for maximising the fundamental frequency of small-amplitude. A set of fiber orientation angles in the layers are considered as design variable. The Modified Feasible Direction method is used in order to obtain the optimal designs. The effects of number of layers, boundary conditions, laminate thicknesses, aspect ratios and in-plane loads on the optimal designs are studied.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.29-48
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• 2015

The main purpose of this work is to compare different criteria for the seismic strengthening of RC framed buildings in order to find the optimal combinations of these retrofitting techniques. To this end, a numerical investigation is carried out with reference to the town hall of Spilinga (Italy), an RC framed structure with an L-shaped plan built at the beginning of the 1960s. Five structures are considered, derived from the first by incorporating: carbon fibre reinforced polymer (FRP)-wrapping of all columns; base-isolation, with high-damping-laminated-rubber bearings (HDLRBs); added damping, with hysteretic damped braces (HYDBs); FRP-wrapping of the first storey columns combined with base-isolation or added damping. A three-dimensional fibre model of the primary and retrofitted structures is considered; bilinear and trilinear laws idealize, respectively, the behaviour of the HYDB, providing that the buckling be prevented, and the FRP-wrapping, without resistance in compression, while the response of the HDLRB is simulated by using a viscoelastic linear model. The effectiveness of the retrofitting solutions is tested with nonlinear dynamic analyses based on biaxial accelerograms, whose response spectra match those in the Italian seismic code.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.531-539
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• 2017

This paper deals with the development of bonded joints for fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) hull structures using moulding-in concept. Focus is placed on bonded in-plane connections between two adjacent panels that could form the boundaries of hull structural module. Traditional construction in FRP hull structures requires the construction of a mould, usually from steel or aluminium. In this construction the FRP materials are laid in the mould, and resin is saturated, and then the structural member is cured. This is expensive since it involves the fabrication of metal hull mould for every different hull type, which is sacrificed after the production of the FRP ship. One way of encouraging greater use of FRP in ship construction is to investigate the possible construction of FRP hull structures in a similar manner to metallic ships, that is in terms of blocks or modules. Such a manner of construction would eliminate the need for expensive hull moulds permitting greater flexibility in the construction of FRP ships. The main issue then would be the design and construction of adequate bonded connections between adjacent panels. To fulfill this object, the simplified and automated way of manufacturing joint edge shapes for bonded joints is developed, and their structural assessment is performed in both experimentally and numerically.