• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.192-211
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• 2010

In most framed structures the nonlinearities and the damages are localized, extending over a limited length of the structural member. In order to capture the details of the local damage, the segments of a member that have entered the nonlinear range may need to be analyzed using the three-dimensional element (3D) model whereas the rest of the member can be analyzed using the simpler one-dimensional (1D) element model with fewer degrees of freedom. An Element-Coupling model was proposed to couple the small scale solid 3D elements with the large scale 1D beam elements. The mixed dimensional coupling is performed imposing the kinematic coupling hypothesis of the 1D model on the interfaces of the 3D model. The analysis results are compared with test results of a reinforced concrete pipe column and a structure consisting of reinforced concrete columns and a steel space truss subjected to static and dynamic loading. This structure is a reduced scale model of a direct air-cooled condenser support platform built in a thermal power plant. The reduction scale for the column as well as for the structure was 1:8. The same structures are also analyzed using 3D solid elements for the entire structure to demonstrate the validity of the Element-Coupling model. A comparison of the accuracy and the computational effort indicates that by the proposed Element-Coupling method the accuracy is almost the same but the computational effort is significantly reduced.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.679-697
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• 2014

The strain data acquired from structural health monitoring (SHM) systems play an important role in the state monitoring and damage identification of bridges. Due to the environmental complexity of civil structures, a better understanding of the actual strain data will help filling the gap between theoretical/laboratorial results and practical application. In the study, the multi-scale features of strain response are first revealed after abundant investigations on the actual data from two typical long-span bridges. Results show that, strain types at the three typical temporal scales of $10^5$, $10^2$ and $10^0$ sec are caused by temperature change, trains and heavy trucks, and have their respective cut-off frequency in the order of $10^{-2}$, $10^{-1}$ and $10^0$ Hz. Multi-resolution analysis and wavelet shrinkage are applied for separating and extracting these strain types. During the above process, two methods for determining thresholds are introduced. The excellent ability of wavelet transform on simultaneously time-frequency analysis leads to an effective information extraction. After extraction, the strain data will be compressed at an attractive ratio. This research may contribute to a further understanding of actual strain data of long-span bridges; also, the proposed extracting methodology is applicable on actual SHM systems.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.173-191
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• 2010

Damage detection plays a very important role to the maintenance of bridge structures. Traditional damage detection methods are usually based on structural dynamic properties, which are acquired from pre-installed sensors on the bridge. This is not only time-consuming and costly, but also suffers from poor sensitivity to damage if only natural frequencies and mode shapes are concerned in a noisy environment. Recently, the idea of using the dynamic responses of a passing vehicle shows a convenient and economical way for damage detection of bridge structures. Inspired by this new idea and the well-established tap test in the field of non-destructive testing, this paper proposes a new method for obtaining the damage information through the acceleration of a passing vehicle enhanced by a tapping device. Since no finger-print is required of the intact structure, this method can be easily implemented in practice. The logistics of this method is illustrated by a vehicle-bridge interaction model, along with the sensitivity analysis presented in detail. The validity of the method is proved by some numerical examples, and remarks are given concerning the potential implementation of the method as well as the directions for future research.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.19-30
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• 2022

The static strength and fatigue crack resistance of the aircraft skin structures depend on the materials used and joint type. Most of the commercial aircraft's skin panel structures are made from aluminium alloy and carbon fibre reinforced epoxy. In this study, the fatigue resistance of four joint configurations (metal/metal, metal/composite, composite/composite and composite/metal) with riveted, adhesive bonded, and hybrid joining techniques are investigated with experiments and finite element analysis. The fatigue tests were tension-tension because of the typical nature of the loads on aircraft skin panels susceptible of experimenting fatigue. Experiment results suggest that the fatigue life of hybrid joints is superior to adhesive bonded joints, and these in turn much better than conventional riveted joints. Thanks to the fact that, for hybrid joints, the adhesive bond provides better load distribution and ensures load-carrying capacity in the event of premature adhesive failure while rivets induce compressive residual stresses in the joint. Results from FE tool ABAQUS analysis for adhesive bonded and hybrid joints agrees with the experiments. From the analysis, the energy release rate for adhesive bonded joints is higher than that of hybrid joints in both opening (mode I) and shear direction (mode II). Most joints show higher energy release rate in mode II. This indicates that the joints experience fatigue crack in the shear direction, which is responsible for crack opening.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.137-145
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• 2014

We present a design sensitivity analysis(DSA) method for multiscale problems based on bridging scale decomposition. In this paper, we utilize a bridging scale method for the coupled system analysis. Since the analysis of full MD systems requires huge amount of computational costs, a coupled system of MD-level and continuum-level simulation is usually preferred. The information exchange between the MD and continuum levels is taken place at the MD-continuum boundary. In the bridging scale method, a generalized Langevin equation(GLE) is introduced for the reduced MD system and the GLE force using a time history kernel is applied at the boundary atoms in the MD system. Therefore, we can separately analyze the MD and continuum level simulations, which can accelerate the computing process. Once the simulation of coupled problems is successful, the need for the DSA is naturally arising for the optimization of macro-scale design, where the macro scale performance of the system is maximized considering the micro scale effects. The finite difference sensitivity is impractical for the gradient based optimization of large scale problems due to the restriction of computing costs but the analytical sensitivity for the coupled system is always accurate. In this study, we derive the analytical design sensitivity to verify the accuracy and applicability to the design optimization of the coupled system.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2021

In this paper, a multi-scale finite element (FE) modeling methodology for three-dimensional (3D) needle-punched (NP) C/SiC with a complex microstructure is presented. The variations of the material properties induced by the needle-punching process and complex geometrical features could pose challenges when estimating the material behavior. For considering these features of composites, a 3D microscopic FE approach is introduced based on micro-CT technology to produce a 3D high fidelity FE model. The image processing techniques of micro-CT are utilized to generate discrete-gray images and reconstruct the high fidelity model. Furthermore, a subcell modeling technique is developed for the 3D NP C/SiC based on the high fidelity FE model to expand to the macro-scale structural problem. A numerical homogenization approach under periodic boundary conditions (PBCs) is employed to estimate the equivalent behavior of the high fidelity model and effective properties of subcell components, considering geometry continuity effects. For verification, proposed models compare excellently with experimental results for the mechanical behavior of tensile, shear, and bending under static loading conditions.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.177-187
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• 2009

Machine or structural members subjected to fatigue loading will have a crack initiated during early part of their life. Therefore analysis of members with cracks and other discontinuities is very important. Finite element method has enjoyed widespread use in engineering, but it is not convenient for crack problems as the region very close to crack tip is to be discretized with very fine mesh. However, as the body force method (BFM), requires only the boundary of the discontinuity (crack or hole) to be discretized it is easy versatile technique to analyze such problems. In the present work fundamental solution for concentrated load x + iy acting in the semi-infinite plate at an arbitrary point $z_0=x_0+iy_0$ is considered. These fundamental solutions are in complex form ${\phi}(z)$ and ${\psi}(z)$ (England 1971). These potentials are known as Melan potentials (Ramakrishna 1994). A crack in the semi-infinite plate as shown in Fig. 1 is considered. This crack is divided into number of divisions. By applying pair of body forces on a division, the resultant forces on the remaining 'N'divisions are to be found for which ${\phi}_1(z)$ and ${\psi}_1(z)$ are derived. Body force method is applied to calculate stress intensity factor for crack in semi-infinite plate. Also for the case of crack emanating from circular hole in semi-infinite plate radial stress, hoop stress and shear stress are calculated around the hole and crack. Convergent results are obtained by body force method. These results are compared with FEM results.