• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.93-101
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• 2001

The spacer grid is one of the main structural components in the fuel assembly, which supports the fuel rods, guides cooling water, and protects the system from an external impact load, such as earthquakes. Therefore, the mechanical and structural properties of the spacer grids must be extensively examined while designing them. In this paper, a numerical method for predicting the buckling strength of spacer grids is presented. Numerical analyses on the buckling behavior of the spacer grids are performed for a various array of sizes of the grids considering that the spacer grid is an assembled structure with thin-walled plates and imposing proper boundary conditions by nonlinear dynamic finite element method using ABAQUS/Explicit. Buckling tests on several numbers of specimens of the spacer grid were also carried out in order to compare the results between the test and the simulation result. The drop test is accomplished by dropping a carriage on the specimen at a pre-determined position. From this test, the specimens are buckled only at the uppermost and the lowermost layer among the multi-cells, which is similar to the local buckling at the weakest point of the grid structure. The simulated results also similarly predicted the local buckling phenomena and were found to give good correspondence with the experimental values for the thin-walled grid structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제12권5호
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• pp.541-558
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• 2001

The design specifications of guard fences in Japan were reexamined and the revised specifications were implemented from April 1999. Because of the huge consumption in time and cost to test the performances of full-scale guard fences in the field, some assumptions are adopted while modifying the design specifications, and numerical analyses are necessary to confirm the impact performance and safety level of new types of steel highway guard fences. In this study, the finite element models are developed for the heavy trucks and steel highway guard fences to reenact their behaviors, and the solution approach is carried out using nonlinear dynamic analysis software of structures in three dimensions (LS-DYNA). The numerical simulation results are compared with the full-scale on-site testing results to verify the proposed analysis procedure. The collision process is simulated and it is also made possible to visualize the movement of the truck and the performances of guard fences. In addition, the energy shift of the truck kinetic energy to the truck and guard fence Internal energy, and the energy absorption of each guard fence component are studied for the development of a new design methodology of steel highway guard fences based on the energy absorption capacity.

• 한국지반환경공학회 논문집
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.29-37
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• 2016

This study examined the magnitude and distribution of earth pressure on the support system in a jointed rock mass due to the different joint spacing as well as varying the rock type and joint condition (joint shear strength and joint inclination angle). Based on a physical model test and its numerical simulation, a series of numerical parametric analyses were conducted using a discrete element method. The results showed that the magnitude and distribution of earth pressure were strongly affected by the different joint spacing as well as the rock type and joint condition. In addition, the study results were compared with Peck's earth pressure for soil ground, which indicated that the earth pressure in a jointed rock mass could be considerably different from that in soil ground. The study suggests that the joint spacing as well as the rock type and joint condition are important factors affecting the earth pressure in a jointed rock mass and they should be considered when designing a support system in a jointed rock mass.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제49권1호
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• pp.65-79
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• 2023

This paper presents a development of empirical evaluations, which can be used to evaluate the damage of fiber-reinforced concrete composites (FRC) wall subjected to close-in blast loads. For this development, a combined application of numerical simulation and machine learning approaches are employed. First, finite element modeling of FRC wall under blast loading is developed and verified using experimental data. Numerical analyses are then carried out to investigate the dynamic behavior of the FRC wall under blast loading. In addition, a data set of 384 samples on the damage of FRC wall due to blast loads is then produced in order to develop machine learning models. Second, three robust machine learning models of Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) are employed to propose empirical evaluations for predicting the damage of FRC wall. The proposed empirical evaluations are very useful for practical evaluation and design of FRC wall subjected to blast loads.

• 대한조선학회논문집
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• 제50권6호
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• pp.365-372
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• 2013

In this study, the flow characteristics and structural safety of a 500W class vertical-axis wind turbines(VAWT) for a fishing boat are investigated by numerical simulations. Guide vanes to increase the performance of the VAWT are investigated. And the best guide vane in the numerical simulations is applied to the VAWT. Also, modal analyses are performed to find out the natural frequencies of the VAWT, and the resonance safety of the VAWT is evaluated. The structural analysis of the VAWT is carried out by one-way FSI(Fluid Structure Interaction). And the results are used for the evaluation of structural safety according to IEC 61400-1 code. Finally, the possibility of the installation of the VAWT on the wheelhouse of a 9.77ton class fishing boat is checked. The results of the present research could be used as one of the fundamental data to design a VAWT for a fishing boat.

• 한국지반공학회논문집
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.53-63
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• 2011

본 논문에서는 일련의 현장시험과 수치해석을 통해 연약 암염층(Sabkha)에 보강된 스톤컬럼의 침하거동 특성을 평가하였다. 스톤컬럼으로 보강된 복합지반의 침하거동특성을 평가하기 위해 Saudi의 Kayan 지역에 시공된 스톤컬럼에 대한 현장 재하시험을 수행하였다. 스톤컬럼의 보강효과를 평가하기 위해 현장시험결과와 Pribe의 간편법, 그리고 수치해석 결과를 상호 비교 분석 하였다. 수행된 연구결과, Priebe 제안식으로 산정한 침하량은 스톤컬럼이 시공된 실제 현장의 침하량보다 과다하게 평가함을 확인하였다. 또한, 수치해석을 통해 스톤컬럼이 보강된 복합지반의 거동을 예측할 때, 주변에 시공된 스톤컬럼들의 구속에 의한 지지력이 향상되는 효과를 적절히 고려해야 함을 알 수 있었다.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제69권2호
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• pp.221-230
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• 2019

In this paper, shear behavior of non-persistent joint surrounded in concrete and gypsum layers has been investigated using experimental test and numerical simulation. Two types of mixture were prepared for this study. The first type consists of water and gypsum that were mixed with a ratio of water/gypsum of 0.6. The second type of mixture, water, sand and cement were mixed with a ratio of 27%, 33% and 40% by weight. Shear behavior of a non-persistent joint embedded in these specimens is studied. Physical models consisting of two edge concrete layers with dimensions of 160 mm by 130 mm by 60 mm and one internal gypsum layer with the dimension of 16 mm by 13 mm by 6 mm were made. Two horizontal edge joints were embedded in concrete beams and one angled joint was created in gypsum layer. Several analyses with joints with angles of $0^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$, and $60^{\circ}$ degree were conducted. The central fault places in 3 different positions. Along the edge joints, 1.5 cm vertically far from the edge joint face and 3 cm vertically far from the edge joint face. All samples were tested in compression using a universal loading machine and the shear load was induced because of the specimen geometry. Concurrent with the experiments, the extended finite element method (XFEM) was employed to analyze the fracture processes occurring in a non-persistent joint embedded in concrete and gypsum layers using Abaqus, a finite element software platform. The failure pattern of non-persistent cracks (faults) was found to be affected mostly by the central crack and its configuration and the shear strength was found to be related to the failure pattern. Comparison between experimental and corresponding numerical results showed a great agreement. XFEM was found as a capable tool for investigating the fracturing mechanism of rock specimens with non-persistent joint.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.31-45
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• 2019

In this study the spatial variability of soils is substantiated physically and numerically by using random field theory. Heterogeneous samples are fabricated by combining nine homogeneous soil clusters that are assumed to be elements of an adopted random field. Homogeneous soils are prepared by mixing different percentages of kaolin and bentonite at water contents equivalent to their respective liquid limits. Comprehensive characteristic laboratory tests were carried out before embarking on direct shear experiments to deduce the basic correlations and properties of nine homogeneous soil clusters that serve to reconstitute the heterogeneous samples. The tests consist of Atterberg limits, and Oedometric and unconfined compression tests. The undrained shear strength of nine soil clusters were measured by the unconfined compression test data, and then correlations were made between the water content and the strength and stiffness of soil samples with different consistency limits. The direct shear strength of heterogeneous samples of different stochastic properties was then evaluated by physical and numerical modelling using FISH code programming in finite difference software of $FLAC^{3D}$. The results of the experimental and stochastic numerical analyses were then compared. The deviation of numerical simulations from direct shear load-displacement profiles taken from different sources were discussed, potential sources of error was introduced and elaborated. This study was primarily to explain the mathematical and physical procedures of sample preparation in stochastic soil mechanics. It can be extended to different problems and applications in geotechnical engineering discipline to take in to account the variability of strength and deformation parameters.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.447-463
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• 2021

Caisson-type structures are widely used as quay walls in coastal areas. In Korea, for a long time, many caisson-type quay walls have been constructed with a low front water depth. These facilities can no longer meet the requirements of current development. This study developed a new technology for deepening existing caisson-type quay walls using grouting and rubble mound excavation to economically reuse them. With this technology, quay walls could be renovated by injecting grout into the rubble mound beneath the front toe of the caisson to secure its structure. Subsequently, a portion of the rubble mound was excavated to increase the front water depth. This paper reports the results of an investigation of the seismic behavior of a renovated quay wall in comparison to that of an existing quay wall using centrifuge tests and numerical simulations. Two centrifuge model tests at a scale of 1/120 were conducted on the quay walls before and after renovation. During the experiments, the displacements, accelerations, and earth pressures were measured under five consecutive earthquake input motions with increasing magnitudes. In addition, systematic numerical analyses of the centrifuge model tests were also conducted with the PLAXIS 2D finite element (FE) program using a nonlinear elastoplastic constitutive model. The displacements of the caisson, response accelerations, deformed shape of the quay wall, and earth pressures were investigated in detail based on a comparison of the numerical and experimental results. The results demonstrated that the motion of the caisson changed after renovation, and its displacement decreased significantly. The comparison between the FE models and centrifuge test results showed good agreement. This indicated that renovation was technically feasible, and it could be considered to study further by testbed before applying in practice.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.459-470
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• 2014

During ship design, welding-induced distortions are roughly estimated as a function of the size of the component as well as the welding process and residual stresses are assumed to be locally in the range of the yield stress. Existing welding simulation methods are very complex and time-consuming and therefore not applicable to large structures like ships. Simplified methods for the estimation of welding effects were and still are subject of several research projects, but mostly concerning smaller structures. The main goal of this paper is the application of a multi-layer welding simulation to the block joint of a ship structure. When welding block joints, high constraints occur due to the ship structure which are assumed to result in accordingly high residual stresses. Constraints measured during construction were realized in a test plant for small-scale welding specimens in order to investigate their and other effects on the residual stresses. Associated welding simulations were successfully performed with fine-mesh finite element models. Further analyses showed that a courser mesh was also able to reproduce the welding-induced reaction forces and hence the residual stresses after some calibration. Based on the coarse modeling it was possible to perform the welding simulation at a block joint in order to investigate the influence of the resulting residual stresses on the behavior of the real structure, showing quite interesting stress distributions. Finally it is discussed whether smaller and idealized models of definite areas of the block joint can be used to achieve the same results offering possibilities to consider residual stresses in the design process.