• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.131-146
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• 2015

In the present paper a three-dimensional non-linear truss element and a short computer program for the modeling and predicting approximate lateral deflections in thin glass plates by the method of incremental loading are proposed. Due to the out-of-plane large deflections of thin glass plates compared to the plate thickness within each loading increment, the equilibrium and stiffness conditions are written with respect to the deformed structure. An application is presented on a thin fully tempered monolithic rectangular glass plate, laterally supported around its perimeter subjected to uniform wind pressure. The results of the analysis are compared with published experimental results and found to have satisfactory approximation. It is also observed that the large deflections of a glass plate lead to a part substitution of the bending plate behavior by a tensioned membrane behavior which is favorable.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.201-211
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• 1997

A clearly consistent finite element formulation for geometrically non-linear analysis of space frames is presented by applying incremental equilibrium equations based on the updated Lagrangian formulation and introducing Vlasov's assumption. The improved displacement field for symmetric cross sections is introduced based on inclusion of second order terms of finite rotations, and the potential energy corresponding to the semitangential rotations and moments is consistently derived. For finite element analysis, elastic and geometric stiffness matrices of the space frame element are derived by using the Hermitian polynomials as shape functions. A co-rotational formulation in order to evaluate the unbalanced loads is presented by separating the rigid body rotations and pure deformations from incremental displacements and evaluating the updated direction cosines of the frame element due to rigid body rotations and incremental member forces from pure deformaions. Finite element solutions for the spatial buckling and post-buckling analysis of space frames are compared with available solutions and other researcher's results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.749-758
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• 2017

In structural mechanics, traditional analyses methods usually employ matrix operations for obtaining displacement and internal forces of the structure under the external effects, such as distributed loads, earthquake or wind excitations, and temperature changing inter alia. These matrices are derived from the well-known principle of mechanics called minimum potential energy. According to this principle, a system can be in the equilibrium state only in case when the total potential energy of system is minimum. A close examination of the expression of the well-known equilibrium condition for linear problems, $P=K{\Delta}$, where P is the load vector, K is the stiffness matrix and ${\Delta}$ is the displacement vector, it is seen that, basically this principle searches the displacement set (or deformed shape) for a system that minimizes the total potential energy of it. Instead of using mathematical operations used in the conventional methods, with a different formulation, meta-heuristic algorithms can also be used for solving this minimization problem by defining total potential energy as objective function and displacements as design variables. Based on this idea the technique called Total Potential Optimization using Meta-heuristic Algorithms (TPO/MA) is proposed. The method has been successfully applied for linear and non-linear analyses of trusses and truss-like structures, and the results have shown that the approach is much more successful than conventional methods, especially for analyses of non-linear systems. In this study, the application of TPO/MA, with Harmony Search as the selected meta-heuristic algorithm, to cables net system is presented. The results have shown that the method is robust, powerful and accurate.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.23-43
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• 2010

In this paper, a nonlinear model is developed using the component method in order to represent the response of steel connections under various loading conditions and temperature variations. The model is capable of depicting the behaviour of a number of typical connection types including endplate forms (extended and flush) and angle configurations (double web, top and seat, and combined top-seat-web) in both steel and composite framed structures. The implementation is undertaken within the finite element program ADAPTIC, which accounts for material and geometric nonlinearities. Verification of the proposed connection model is carried out by comparing analytical simulations with available results of isolated joint tests for the ambient case, and isolated joint as well as sub-frame tests for elevated temperature conditions. The findings illustrate the reliability and efficiency of the proposed model in capturing the stiffness and strength properties of connections, hence highlighting the adequacy of the component approach in simulating the overall joint behaviour at elevated temperature.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.19-34
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• 2007

This paper presents results of a non-linear finite element analysis of axially loaded slender hollow structural section (HSS) columns, strengthened using high modulus carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) longitudinal sheets. The model was developed and verified against both experimental and other analytical models. Both geometric and material nonlinearities, which are attributed to the column's initial imperfection and plasticity of steel, respectively, are accounted for. Residual stresses have also been modeled. The axial strength in the experimental study was found to be highly dependent on the column's imperfection. Consequently, no specific correlation was established experimentally between strength gain and amount of CFRP. The model predicted the ultimate loads and failure modes quite reasonably and was used to isolate the effects of CFRP strengthening from the columns' imperfections. It was then used in a parametric study to examine columns of different slenderness ratios, imperfections, number of CFRP layers, and level of residual stresses. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of high modulus CFRP in increasing stiffness and strength of slender columns. While the columns' imperfections affect their actual strengths before and after strengthening,the percentage gain in strength is highly dependent on slenderness ratio and CFRP reinforcement ratio, rather than the value of imperfection.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.39-49
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• 1993

In order to present the geometrically nonlinear F.E. formulation of space frames, two beam/column elements including the effects of transverse shear deformation and bending stretching coupling are developed. In the case of the first element (Finite segment method), the tangent stiffness matrices are derived by directly integrating the equilibrium equations, whereas in the case of the second element (Finite element method) elastic and geometric stiffness matrices are calculated by using the hermitian polynomials including shear deformation effect as the shape function. Both elements possess the usual twelve degrees of freedom. Also, the bowing function including shear deformation effects is obtained in order to account for the effect of shortening of member chord length due to the bending and torsional behavior. Numerical results are presented for the selected test problems which demonstrate that both elements represent reliable and highly accurate tools.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.713-739
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• 2007

Nowadays computers can perform symbolic computations in addition to mere number crunching operations for which they were originally designed. Symbolic computation opens up exciting possibilities in Structural Mechanics and engineering. Classical areas have been increasingly neglected due to the advent of computers as well as general purpose finite element software. But now, classical analysis has reemerged as an attractive computer option due to the capabilities of symbolic computation. The repetitive cycles of simultaneous - equation sets required by the finite element technique can be eliminated by solving a single set in symbolic form, thus generating a truly closed-form solution. This consequently saves in data preparation, storage and execution time. The power of Symbolic computation is demonstrated by six examples by applying symbolic computation 1) to solve coupled shear wall 2) to generate beam element matrices 3) to find the natural frequency of a shear frame using transfer matrix method 4) to find the stresses of a plate subjected to in-plane loading using Levy's approach 5) to draw the influence surface for deflection of an isotropic plate simply supported on all sides 6) to get dynamic equilibrium equations from Lagrange equation. This paper also presents yet another computationally efficient and accurate numerical method which is based on the concept of derivative of a function expressed as a weighted linear sum of the function values at all the mesh points. Again this method is applied to solve the problems of 1) coupled shear wall 2) lateral buckling of thin-walled beams due to moment gradient 3) buckling of a column and 4) static and buckling analysis of circular plates of uniform or non-uniform thickness. The numerical results obtained are compared with those available in existing literature in order to verify their accuracy.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.125-135
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• 2011

The latest study for formulation of finite element method and computation techniques has progressed widely. The classical method in the formulation of frame elements for geometrically nonlinear analysis derives the geometric stiffness directly from the governing differential equation for bending with axial force. From the computational viewpoint of this paper, the most common approach is the finite element method. Commonly, the formulation of frame elements for geometrically nonlinear structures is based on appropriate interpolation functions for the transverse and axial displacements of the member. The formulation of flexibility-based elements, on the other hand, is based on interpolation functions for the internal forces. In this paper, a new method is used to suppose that interpolation functions for the displacements from the curvatures is Lagrangian interpolation. This paper derives flexibility matrix from that displacement functions and is considered the application of it. Using the flexibility matrix, this paper apply the program considered geometrically nonlinear analysis to common problems.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1403-1419
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• 2015

When precast concrete infill panels are connected to steel frames at discrete locations, interaction at the structural interface is neither complete nor absent. The contribution of precast concrete infill panels to the lateral stiffness and strength of steel frames can be significant depending on the quality, quantity and location of the discrete interface connections. This paper presents preliminary experimental and finite element results of an investigation into the composite behaviour of a square steel frame with a precast concrete infill panel subject to lateral loading. The panel is connected at the corners to the ends of the top and bottom beams. The Frame-to-Panel-Connection, FPC4 between steel beam and concrete panel consists of two parts. A T-section with five achor bars welded to the top of the flange is cast in at the panel corner at a forty five degree angle. The triangularly shaped web of the T-section is reinforced against local buckling with a stiffener plate. The second part consists of a triangular gusset plate which is welded to the beam flange. Two bolts acting in shear connect the gusset plate to the web of the T-section. This way the connection can act in tension or compression. Experimental pull-out tests on individual connections allowed their load deflection characteristics to be established. A full scale experiment was performed on a one-storey one-bay 3 by 3 m infilled frame structure which was horizontally loaded at the top. With the characteristics of the frame-to-panel connections obtained from the experiments on individual connections, finite element analyses were performed on the infilled frame structures taking geometric and material non-linear behaviour of the structural components into account. The finite element model yields reasonably accurate results. This allows the model to be used for further parametric studies.