• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.643-649
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• 2017

Masonry walls are amongst the oldest building systems. A large portion of the research on these structures focuses on the load-bearing walls. Numerical methods have been generally used in modelling load-bearing walls during recent years. In this context, macro and micro modelling techniques emerge as widely accepted techniques. Micro modelling is used to investigate the local behaviour of load-bearing walls in detail whereas macro modelling is used to investigate the general behaviour of masonry buildings. The main objective of this study is to investigate the elastic behaviour of the load- bearing walls in masonry buildings by using micro modelling technique. In order to do this the brick and mortar units of the masonry walls are modelled by the combination of plane truss elements and plane frame elements with no shear deformations. The model used in this study has fewer unknowns then the models encountered in the references. In this study the vertical frame elements have equivalent elasticity modulus and moment of inertia which are calculated by the developed software. Under in-plane static loads the elastic displacements of the masonry walls, which are encountered in literature, are calculated by the developed software, where brick units are modelled by plane frame elements, horizontal joints are modelled by vertical frame elements and vertical joints are modelled by horizontal plane truss elements. The calculated results are compatible with those given in the references.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2018

An experimental investigation has been carried out on the use of an environmentally sustainable material, bamboo, in the construction of precast concrete structural wall panels. The strength and behaviour of three prototype bamboo reinforced concrete wall panel specimens under two-way in-plane action was studied. The specimens with varying aspect ratio and thinness ratio were tested to fail under a uniformly distributed in-plane load applied at an eccentricity of t/6. The aspect ratio of the specimens considered includes 1.667, 1.818 and 2 and the thinness ratio includes 12.5, 13.75 and 15. The influence of aspect ratio and thinness ratio of bamboo reinforced concrete wall panels, on its strength and behaviour was discussed. Varnished and sand blasted bamboo splints of 20 mm width and thickness varying from 8 to 15 mm were used as reinforcement in concrete. Based on the study, an empirical equation was developed considering the geometrical parameters of bamboo reinforced concrete wall panels for predicting its ultimate strength under two way in-plane action.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.223-236
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• 2017

Seismic assessment and rehabilitation of Monumental Buildings constitute an important issue in many regions around the world to preserve cultural heritage. On the contrary, many recent earthquakes have demonstrated the high vulnerability of this type of structures. The high nonlinear masonry behaviour requires ad hoc refined finite element numerical models, whose complexity and computational costs are generally unsuitable for practical applications. For these reasons, several authors proposed simplified numerical strategies to be used in engineering practice. However, most of these alternative methods are oversimplified being based on the assumption of in-plane behaviour of masonry walls. Moreover, they cannot be used for modelling the monumental structures for which the interaction between plane and out-plane behaviour governs the structural response. Recently, an innovative discrete-modelling approach for the simulation of both in-plane and out of-plane response of masonry structures was proposed and applied to study several typologies of historic structures. In this paper the latter model is applied with reference to a real case study, and numerically compared with an advanced finite element modelling. The method is applied to the St.Venerio church in Reggiolo (Italy), damaged during the 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake and numerically investigated in the literature.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.297-313
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• 2023

This paper deals with delamination analysis of non-linear viscoelastic multilayered beam subjected to bending in the plane of the layers. For this purpose, first, a non-linear viscoelastic model is presented. In order to take into account the non-linear viscoelastic behaviour, a non-linear spring and a non-linear dashpot are assembled in series with a linear spring connected in parallel to a linear dashpot. The behaviours of the non-linear spring and dashpot are described by applying non-linear stress-strain and stress-rate of strain relationships, respectively. The constitutive law of the model is derived. Due to the non-linear spring and dashpot, the constitutive law is non-linear. This law is used for describing the time-dependent mechanical behaviour of the beam under consideration. The material properties involved in the constitutive law vary along the beam length due to the continuous material inhomogeneity of the layers. Solution of the strain energy release rate for the delamination is obtained by analyzing the balance of the energy with considering of the non-linear viscoelastic behaviour. The strain energy release rate is found also by using the complementary strain energy for verification. A parametric study is carried-out by using the solution obtained. The solutions derived and the results obtained help to understand the time-dependent delamination of non-linear viscoelastic beams under loading in the plane of layers.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.77-83
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• 2003

The finite element analysis was performed for the cracks existing in residual stress fields in order to investigate the effects of configuration of residual stress distribution to the fatigue crack opening behaviour. And the variation of stress distributions adjacent to the crack caused by uploading was examined. The finite element model with contact elements for the crack plane and plane stress elements for the base material and the analytical method based on the superposition principle to estimate crack opening behaviour and the stress distribution adjacent to the crack subjected to uploading were used. The results of the analysis showed that crack opening behaviors and variations of stress distribution caused by uploading were changed depending on the configuration of residual stress distribution. When the crack existed in the region of compressive residual stress and the configuration of compressive residual stress distribution were inclined, a partial crack opening just behind of a crack tip occurred during uploading. Based on the above results, it was clarified that the crack opening behaviour in the residual stress field could be predicted accurately by the finite element analysis using these analytical method and model.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.515-537
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• 2014

Current seismic codes (e.g. the NTC08 Italian code and the EC8 European code) adopt a performance-based approach for both the design of new buildings and the assessment of existing ones. Different limit states are considered by verifying structural members as well as non structural elements and facilities which have generally been neglected in practice. The key role of non structural elements on building performance has been shown by recent earthquakes (e.g. L'Aquila 2009) where, due to the extensive damage suffered by infills, partitions and ceilings, a lot of private and public buildings became unusable with consequent significant socio-economic effects. Furthermore, the collapse of infill panels, particularly in the case of out-of-plane failure, represented a serious source of risk to life safety. This paper puts forward an infill model capable of accounting for the effects arising from prior in-plane damage on the out-of-plane capacity of infill panels. It permits an assessment of the seismic performance of existing RC buildings with reference to both structural and non structural elements, as well as of their mutual interaction. The model is applied to a building type with RC framed structure designed only to vertical loads and representative of typical Italian buildings. The influence of infill on building performance and the role of the out-of-plane response on structural response are also discussed.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.71-76
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• 2003

For the purpose of clarifying the influence of welding residual stress to the fatigue crack propagations behaviour, an analytical investigation based on finite element method is performed to examine the opening behaviour of tip-closed crack in the compressive residual stress. A finite element model comprised of contact elements for the crack plane and plane stress elements for the base material is used to evaluate crack opening stress of the crack existing in the residual stress field. Also an analytical method based on the superposition principle to estimate the length of opened part of tip closed crack and the stress distribution adjacent to the crack during uploading is applied to the finite element model. The software for the analysis is ABAQUS, which is a general purpose finite element package. The results show that stresses distributed on the crack surfaces are reduced and approached to zero as the applied stresses are increased up to crack tip opening stress and no mechanical discontinuity is found at the boundary of contact elements and plane stress elements. It is verified that the opening behavior of the fatigue crack in the residual stress can be predicted by finite element method with the proposed analytical method.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.659-676
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• 2005

The novel form of composite walling system consists of two skins of profiled steel sheeting with an in-fill of concrete. The behaviour of such walling under in-plane shear is important in order to utilise this system as shear elements in a steel framed building. Steel sheet-concrete interface governs composite action, overall behaviour and failure modes of such walls. This paper describes the finite element (FE) modelling of the shear behaviour of walls with particular emphasis on the simulation of steel-concrete interface. The modelling of complex non-linear steel-concrete interaction in composite walls is conducted by using different FE models. Four FE models are developed and characterized by their approaches to simulate steel-concrete interface behaviour allowing either full or partial composite action. Non-linear interface or joint elements are introduced between steel and concrete to simulate partial composite action that allows steel-concrete in-plane slip or out of plane separation. The properties of such interface/joint elements are optimised through extensive parametric FE analysis using experimental results to achieve reliable and accurate simulation of actual steel-concrete interaction in a wall. The performance of developed FE models is validated through small-scale model tests. FE models are found to simulate strength, stiffness and strain characteristics reasonably well. The performance of a model with joint elements connecting steel and concrete layers is found better than full composite (without interface or joint elements) and other models with interface elements. The proposed FE model can be used to simulate the shear behaviour of composite walls in practical situation.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.173-181
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• 2006

A Two Mobilized-Plane Model is proposed for monotonic and cyclic soil response including liquefaction. This model is based on two mobilized planes: a plane of maximum shear stress, which rotates, and a horizontal plane which is spatially fixed. By controlling two mobilized planes, the model can simulate the principal stress rotation effect associated with simple shear from different $K_0$ states. The proposed model gives a similar skeleton behaviour for soils having the same mean stress, regardless of $K_0$ conditions as observed in laboratory tests. The soil skeleton behaviour observed in cyclic drained simple shear tests, including compaction during unloading and dilation at large strain is captured in the model. Undrained monotonic and cyclic response is predicted by imposing the volumetric constraint of the water on the drained or skeleton behaviour. This constitutive model is incorporated into the dynamic coupled stress-flow finite difference program of FLAC (Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua). The model was first calibrated with drained simple shear tests on Fraser River sand, and verified by comparing predicted and measured undrained behaviour of Fraser River sand using the same input parameters.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 1994

The leak-before-break(LBB) design on the large structures such as ship's hull, tank structure, pressure vessels etc. is one of the most inportant subjects for the evaluation and the assurance of safety. In these structures, various loads are acting. In some structural members, therefore, out-of-plane stress due to bending often may become with in-plane stress due to stretching. In the present report, the characteristics of fatigue life and peneration behaviour from a surface cracked plate under combined tension and bending have been studied experimentally and analytically by using eccentricity. Estimation of fatigue crack growth was done with the Newman-Raju formula before penetration, and with the stress intensity factor after penetration proposed by the author. Calculated aspect ratio showed the good agreement with the experimental result. It was also found that particular crack growth behaviour and crack shape after penetration can be satisfactorily evaluated using the K solution proposed.