• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.29 no.1 s.232
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• pp.22-29
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• 2005

A material cloud method, which is a new topology optimization method, is presented. In MCM, an optimal structure can be found out by manipulating sizes and positions of material clouds, which are lumps of material with specified properties. A numerical analysis for a specific distribution of material clouds is carried out using fixed background finite element mesh. Optimal material distribution can be element-wisely extracted from material clouds' distribution. In MCM, an expansion-reduction procedure of design domain for finding out better optimal solution can be naturally realized. Also the convergence of material distribution is faster and well-defined material distribution with fewer intermediate densities can be obtained. In addition, the control of minimum-member sizes in the material distribution can be realized to some extent. In this paper, basic concept of MCM is introduced, and formulation and optimization results of MCM are compared with those of the traditional density distribution method(DDM).

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.919-930
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• 2014

In this study, the load capacities and behaviors of a shotcrete member with steel supports, as composite member, are investigated numerically by using a fiber section element. The cross section of a shotcrete lining with steel support is divided into a bundle of fibers, which are allocated nonlinear stress-strain relations and used for determining internal forces. To verify the used approach of the finite element method for shotcrete with steel supports, the load-displacement relations of shotcrete lining obtained by numerical analysis are compared with existing experimental results and are analyzed with the stress distribution of the shotcrete and steel support obtained numerically. As a result, it is shown that the proposed approach can predict the load capacities of each material and the overall nonlinear behavior of shotcrete lining with steel supports. The change of location of the neutral axis and the flexural resistance ratio of each material are also derived from the stress distribution of the cross section of the shotcrete lining with steel supports. From the results, it is concluded that the flexural resistance performance of steel support should be considered in shotcrete lining design.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.459-465
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• 2012

This study analyzed the effect of semi-rigid rafter-purlin cross-linking connection and driven steel pipe base on the static behavior of plastic greenhouse (PG). To promote the time and cost efficiency of the assembly process, each cross-linking connections of space arch type grid that consists of rafter and purlin is linked with steel-wire buckles, and each end of the rafters was driven directly to the ground to support the PG structure. However, in the design process, cross-linking connections and bases are idealized by being categorized as fully rigid or frictionless pinned, which does not appropriately reflect actual conditions. This study takes a full-scale loading test of PG and analyzes the effect of member cross-linking connections and driven steel pipe base on the behavior of a structure. The analysis provided a basis for determining the rigidity factor of member cross-linking nodes needed for finite element analysis, and the reliability of the result regarding the static behavior of PG.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.687-696
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• 2006

An efficient numerical method is developed to estimate the elasto-plastic post-buckling strength of space-framed structures. The inelastic ultimate strength of beam-columns and frames is evaluated by the parametric study. Applying the improved plastic hinge analysis that evaluate the gradual stiffness decrease effects due to spread of plasticity, elasto-plastic post-buckling behavior of steel frames is investigated considering the various residual stress distributions. Introducing the plastification parameter that represent pread of plasticity in the element and performing parametric study of equivalent element force and member idealization, finite-element solutions for the elasto-plastic analysis of space frames are compared with the results by plastic region analysis, shell elements and experimental results.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.421-435
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• 2008

This paper presents an investigation on the ultimate behavior of a transmission tower using nonlinear analyses inconsideration of residual stress and initial imperfection. Main members, such as main post, horizontal member and diagonal member of the transmission tower were modeled using beam element. Moreover, submembers of the transmission tower were modeled using truss element. ABAQUS (2004) program was used to perform finite element analyses. Initial condition options of the ABAQUS program considering initial stress and imperfection were used in this study. Before performing the analysis of the total transmission tower, simple angle section models using beam or plate/shell element w ere investigated to verify the appropriateness of ABAQUS analysis models and options. According to the verification results, the beam element was used for nonlinear analyses of the transmission tower. From nonlinear analyses results, buckling failure was in the main member of the leg part because of ${P-{\triangle}}$ effect at that point. Also, this paper includes significant results to define real structural failure modes and quantitative values. This study should be used in the development of a reasonable and economic design method for transmission towers.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.207-222
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• 2010

Fire incident in buildings is common, so the fire safety design of the framed structure is imperative, especially for the unprotected or partly protected bare steel frames. However, software for structural fire analysis is not widely available. As a result, the performance-based structural fire design is urged on the basis of using user-friendly and conventional nonlinear computer analysis programs so that engineers do not need to acquire new structural analysis software for structural fire analysis and design. The tool is desired to have the capacity of simulating the different fire scenarios and associated detrimental effects efficiently, which includes second-order P-D and P-d effects and material yielding. Also the nonlinear behaviour of large-scale structure becomes complicated when under fire, and thus its simulation relies on an efficient and effective numerical analysis to cope with intricate nonlinear effects due to fire. To this end, the present fire study utilizes a second-order elastic/plastic analysis software NIDA to predict structural behaviour of bare steel framed structures at elevated temperatures. This fire study considers thermal expansion and material degradation due to heating. Degradation of material strength with increasing temperature is included by a set of temperature-stress-strain curves according to BS5950 Part 8 mainly, which implicitly allows for creep deformation. This finite element stiffness formulation of beam-column elements is derived from the fifth-order PEP element which facilitates the computer modeling by one member per element. The Newton-Raphson method is used in the nonlinear solution procedure in order to trace the nonlinear equilibrium path at specified elevated temperatures. Several numerical and experimental verifications of framed structures are presented and compared against solutions in literature. The proposed method permits engineers to adopt the performance-based structural fire analysis and design using typical second-order nonlinear structural analysis software.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.4A
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• pp.407-419
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to investigate the seismic behavior of precast segmental PSC bridge columns with precast concrete footings and to provide the details and reference data. Six precast segmental PSC bridge columns were tested under a constant axial load and a cyclically reversed horizontal load. A computer program, RCAHEST (Reinforced Concrete Analysis in Higher Evaluation System Technology), for the analysis of reinforced concrete structures was used. A bonded or unbonded tendon element based on the finite element method, that can represent the interaction between tendon and concrete of prestressed concrete member, is used. A joint element is modified to predict the inelastic behaviors of segmental joints. This study documents the testing of precast segmental PSC bridge columns with precast concrete footings and presents conclusions based on the experimental and analytical findings.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.643-660
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• 2013

In the present work, the capacity ratings of steel truss bridges have been carried out incorporating dynamic effect of moving vehicles and its accumulating effect as fatigue. Further, corrosion in the steel members has been taken into account to examine the rating factor. Dynamic effect has been considered in the rating procedure making use of impact factors obtained from simulation studies as well as from codal guidelines. A steel truss bridge has been considered to illustrate the approach. Two levels of capacity ratings- the upper load level capacity rating (called operating rating) and the lower load level capacity rating (called inventory rating) were found out using Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) method and a proposal has been made which incorporates fatigue in the rating formula. Random nature of corrosion on the steel member has been taken into account in the rating by considering reduced member strength. Partial safety factor for each truss member has been obtained from the fatigue reliability index considering random variables on the fatigue parameters, traffic growth rate and accumulated number of stress cycle using appropriate probability density function. The bridge has been modeled using Finite Element software. Regressions of rating factor versus vehicle gross weight have been obtained. Results show that rating factor decreases when the impact factor other than those in the codal provisions are considered. The consideration of fatigue and member corrosion gives a lower value of rating factor compared to those when both the effects are ignored. In addition to this, the study reveals that rating factor decreases when the vehicle gross weight is increased.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.357-365
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• 2011

The current trends in steel construction intend to use tapered sections to minimize as much as possible the use of excess material. This can be done by choosing the cross-sections to be as economical as possible, leaving the classical approach of using prismatic members. In addition, it is important to predict the buckling behavior of tapered member with large depth-to-thickness ratio in order to prevent the collapse of PEB system subjected to overloads. An experimental investigation of buckling behavior of tapered beam was presented. The primary test parameter was depth-to-thickness ratio and taper ratio. Using initial stiffness and load-carrying capacity proposed by current provision, the simple plastic hinge method using modified Yoda's model and finite element analysis, the prediction of a moment-rotation curve of linearly tapered member was presented. Moreover, comparisons between analytical and experimental data for moment-rotation curves were accomplished.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.6A
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• pp.641-650
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• 2009

This paper presents new equations for member forces in concrete floating structures under wave loadings. The currently adopted design equations for wave loadings disregard the effect of mismatch between design wave length and the length of the structure. In most cases, however, additional internal forces occur due to disequilibriating buoyancy caused by the difference between design wave length and the length of the structure. In this study, new design equations considering the influence of the disequlibriating buoyancy is proposed. In addition, finite element solutions are sought to demonstrate the adequacy of the proposed design formulae in estimating the actual internal forces considering the structure as either rigid or flexible. It has been found that member forces are decreased approximately to around 55% for flexible model when compared with the rigid one.