• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.221-241
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• 2022

Perfobond rib connectors are widely used in composite structures to achieve the composite action between the steel and the concrete, and empirical expressions for their strength and secant stiffness have been obtained by numerical simulations or push-out tests. Since perfobond connections are generally in an elastic state in the service process and the structural analysis are always based on the elastic properties of the members, the secant stiffness is not applicable for the normal structural analysis. However, the tangent stiffness of perfobond connections has not been introduced in previous studies. Moreover, the perfobond connections are bearing tension and shear force simultaneously when the composite beams subjected to torque or local loads, but the current studies fail to arrive at the elastic stiffness considering the combined effects. To resolve these discrepancies, this paper investigates the initial elastic stiffness of perfobond connections under combined forces. The calculation method for the elastic stiffness of perfobond connections is analyzed, and the contributions of the perfobond rib, the perforating rebar and the concrete dowel are investigated. A finite element method was verified with a high value of correlation for the test results. Afterwards, parametric studies are carried out using the reliable finite element analysis to explore the trends of several factors. Empirical equations for predicting the initial elastic stiffness of perfobond connections are proposed by the numerical regression of the data extracted by parametric studies. The equations agree well with finite element analysis and test results, which indicates that the proposed empirical equations reflect a high accuracy for predicting the initial elastic stiffness of perfobond connections.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.86 no.3
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• pp.417-430
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• 2023

As the key part in the reinforced concrete column-steel beam (RCS) frame, the beam-column joints are usually subjected the axial force, shear force and bending moment under seismic actions. With the aim to study the seismic behavior of RCS joints with and without RC slab, the quasi-static cyclic tests results, including hysteretic curves, slab crack development, failure mode, strain distributions, etc. were discussed in detail. It is shown that the composite action between steel beam and RC slab can significantly enhance the initial stiffness and loading capacity, but lead to a changing of the failure mode from beam flexural failure to the joint shear failure. Based on the analysis of shear failure mechanism, the calculation formula accounting for the influence of RC slab was proposed to estimate shear strength of RCS joint. In addition, the finite element model (FEM) was developed by ABAQUS and a series of parametric analysis model with RC slab was conducted to investigate the influence of the face plates thickness, slab reinforcement diameter, beam web strength and inner concrete strength on the shear strength of joints. Finally, the proposed formula in this paper is verified by the experiment and FEM parametric analysis results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.899-912
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• 2022

To study the seismic performance of the all-steel buckling-restrained brace (BRB) using the novel soft steel LY315 for core member, a total of three identical BRBs were designed and a series of experimental and numerical studies were conducted. First, monotonic and cyclic loading tests were carried out to obtain the mechanical properties of LY315 steel. In addition, the parameters of the Chaboche model were calibrated based on the test results and then verified using ABAQUS. Second, three BRB specimens were tested under cyclic loads to investigate the seismic performance. The failure modes of all the specimens were identified and discussed. The test results indicate that the BRBs exhibit excellent energy dissipation capacity, good ductility, and excellent low-cycle fatigue performance. Then, a finite element (FE) model was established and verified with the test results. Furthermore, a parametric study was performed to further investigate the effects of gap size, restraining ratio, slenderness ratio of the yielding segment, and material properties of the core member on the load capacity and energy dissipation capacity of BRBs.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.209-222
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• 2022

Finite element analyses using coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian technique are performed to investigate the effect of soil conditions on plugging of open-ended piles in sands. Results from numerical simulations are compared against the data from field load tests on three open-ended piles and show very good agreement. A parametric study focusing on determination of the coefficient of lateral earth pressure (K) in soil plug after pile driving are then performed for various soil densities, end-bearing conditions, and layering conditions. Results from the parametric study suggest that the K value in the soil plug - and hence the degree of soil plugging - increases with increasing soil densities. The analysis results further show that the K value within the soil plug can reach about 63 to 71% of the coefficient of passive earth pressure after pile driving. For layered soil profiles, the greater K values are achieved after pile driving when the denser soil layer is present near the pile base regardless of number of soil layers. This study provides comprehensive numerical and experimental data that can be used to develop advanced theory for analysis and design of open-ended pipe piles, especially for estimation of inner shaft resistance after pile driving.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2024

The present experimental investigation focuses on finding optimal parametric data-set of laser micro-drilling operation with minimum taper and Heat-affected zone during laser micro-drilling of Carbon Nanotube/Epoxy-based composite materials. Experiments have been conducted as per Box-Behnken design (BBD) techniques considering cutting speed, lamp current, pulse frequency and air pressure as input process parameters. Then, the relationship between control parameters and output responses is developed using second-order nonlinear regression models. The analysis of variance test has also been performed to check the adequacy of the developed mathematical model. Using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and an Accelerated particle swarm optimization (APSO) technique, optimum process parameters are evaluated and compared. Moreover, confirmation tests are conducted with the optimal parameter settings obtained from RSM and APSO and improvement in performance parameter is noticed in each case. The optimal process parameter setting obtained from predictive RSM based APSO techniques are speed=150 (m/s), current=22 (amp), pulse frequency (3 kHz), Air pressure (1 kg/cm²) for Taper and speed=150 (m/s), current=22 (amp), pulse frequency (3 kHz), air pressure (3 kg/cm²) for HAZ. From the confirmatory experimental result, it is observed that the APSO metaheuristic algorithm performs efficiently for optimizing the responses during laser micro-drilling process of nanocomposites both in individual and multi-objective optimization.

• The Journal of Information Technology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.235-250
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• 1999

The test of digital VLSI devices is to insure that the device will perform all of its designed functions while in the worst-case environments. According to increasing the integration of the communication device, there are important consideration about the improvement of the reliability in the product. To improve the reliability of the device, the test parameters and test time are increased. There are basically three kinds of tests: functional, DC parametric, and AC parametric. There are no pin-to-pin short test and pin-to-pin leakage test in the present test items to analysis the characteristics and reliability of the device. The purpose of the paper is to model the pin-to-pin phenomenon and propose to modify the test method and to test the new pin-to-pin DC parameters. These modified and additive test items were applied to product test and confirmed to improve the reliability of product test.

• Composites Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.13-19
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• 2006

In this paper, parametric study was carried out to design sandwich structures for EDM machines controlling stacking sequence, stacking thickness of composites and rib configuration. Sandwich structures which are dealt with in this paper are composed of fibre reinforced composite for skin material and foam or resin concrete for core materials. The sandwich column has cruciform rib to enhance bending stiffness of the structure and the bed has several vertical ribs to resist the normal forces and vibration. The design parameters such as rib thickness and stacking sequence were controlled to enhance the system robustness. Finite element analysis was also carried out to verify the variation of static and dynamic stiffness of the structures according to the variation of the parameters. Vibration tests were performed to verify the natural frequencies and damping ratios of the manufactured composite structures. The appropriate shape and configuration conditions for micro-EDM machine structures are proposed.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.257-267
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• 2019

This paper presents the results of cyclic loading tests on new high-strength concrete (HC) short columns. The seismic performance and deformation capacity of three reinforced high-strength concrete filled Polyvinyl Chloride tube (RHC-PVCT) short columns and one reinforced high-strength concrete (RHC), under pseudo-static tests (PSTs) with vertical axial force was evaluated. The main design parameters of the columns in the tests were the axial compression ratio, confinement type, concrete strength, height-diameter ratio of PVCT. The failure modes, hysteretic curves, skeleton curves of short columns were presented and analyzed. Placing PVCT in the RHC column could be remarkably improved the ultimate strength and energy dissipation of columns. However, no fiber element models have been formulated for computing the seismic responses of RHC-PVCT columns with PVT tubes filled with high-strength concrete. Nonlinear finite element method (FEM) was conducted to predict seismic behaviors. Finite element models were verified through a comparison of FEM results with experimental results. A parametric study was then performed using validated FEM models to investigate the effect of several parameters on the mechanical properties of RHC-PVCT short columns. The parameters study indicated that the concrete strength and the ratio of diameter to height affected the seismic performance of RHC-PVCT short column significantly.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.571-586
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• 2012

The paper addresses some key issues related to the design of composite slabs with cold-formed profiled steel sheets. An experimental programme is first presented, involving six composite slab specimens tested with a view to evaluating Eurocode 4 (EC4) provisions on testing of composite slabs. In four specimens, the EC4-prescribed 5000 load cycles were applied using different load ranges resulting from alternative interpretations of the reference load $W_t$. Although the rationale of the application of cyclic loading is to induce loss of chemical bond between the concrete plate and the steel sheet, no such loss was noted in the tests for either interpretation of the range of load cycles. Using the recorded response of the specimens the values of factors m and k (related to interface shear transfer in the composite slab) were determined for the specific steel sheet used in the tests, on the basis of three alternative interpretations of the related EC4 provisions. The test results confirmed the need for a more unambiguous description of the m-k test and its interpretation in a future edition of the Code, as well as for an increase in the load amplitude range to be used in the cyclic loading tests, to make sure that the intended loss of bond between the concrete slab and the steel sheet is actually reached. The study also included the development of a special-purpose software that facilitates design of composite slabs; a parametric investigation of the importance of m-k values in slab design is presented in the last part of the paper.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.93-112
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• 1998

In the present study, 2-D consolidation theory of the dredged clay by means of the horizontal drain method is proposed. The horizontal drain method to install the drains such as plastic drain board within the dredged clay is a soil improvement method to accelerate the consolidation by expelling pore water in the vertical direction along the horizontal drains. Based on the finite strain consolidation theory by Gibson et al., the partial differential equation of 2-D consolidation due to the horizontal drain is derived. The consolidation due to the horizontal drain can be illustrated from combined self-weight consolidation effect and consolidation effect by horizontal drains. For the prediction of consolidation settlement and degree of consolidation numerical analysis is suggested on the basis of Dufort-Frankel finite differential algorithm. Also, the analytical procedures proposed in this study are verified by the model tests, and the predictions of the consolidation settlement and degree of consolidation are compared with the results obtained from the tests for the dredged clay gathering at Siwha site in Ansan, Korea. For the predictions, the relationship void ratio vs effective stress and the relationship permeability vs void ratio of the dredged clay are obtained from the odometer tests. Additionally, the parametric study for consolidation settlement by variations of design parameters related with horizontal drain method is carried out. Based on the results of the parametric study, design .charts for the preliminary design are also proposed.