• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.125-133
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• 1991

For the purpose of efficiently calculating the design sensitivity and the reliability for the complicated structures in which the structural responses or limit state functions are given by implicit form, the probabilistic finite element method is introduced to formulate the deterministic design sensitivity analysis method and incorporated with the second moment reliability methods such as MVFOSM, AFOSM and SORM. Also, the probabilistic design sensitivity analysis method needed in the reliability-based design is proposed. As numerical examples, two thin plates are analyzed for the cases of plane stress and plate bending. The initial yielding is defined as failure criterion, and applied loads, yield stress, plate thickness, Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio are treated as random variables. It is found that the response variances and the failure probabilities calculated by the proposed PFEM-based reliability method show good agreement with those by Monte Carlo simulation. The probabilistic design sensitivity evaluates explicitly the contribution of each random variable to probability of failure. Further, the design change can be evaluated without any difficulty, and their effect on reliability can be estimated quickly with high accuracy.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.494-504
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• 2006

This research proposes a reliability-based topology optimization (RBTO) using the finite element method. RBTO is a topology optimization based on probabilistic (or reliability) constraints. Young's modulus, thickness, and loading are considered as the uncertain variables and RBTO is applied to static and eigenvalue problems. The RBTO problems are formulated and a sensitivity analysis is performed. In order to compute probability constraints, two methods-RIA and PMA-are used. Several examples show the effectiveness of the proposed method by comparing the classical safety factor method.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.351-365
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• 2020

This work presents numerical and experimental analyses of the behavior of reinforced-concrete deep beams with unconventional geometries. The main goal here is to experimentally and numerically study these geometries to find possible new behaviors due to the material nonlinearity of reinforced concrete with complex geometries. Usually, unconventional geometries result from innovative designs; in general, studies of reinforced concrete structures are performed only on conventional members such as beams, columns, and labs. To achieve the goal, four reinforced-concrete deep beams with geometries not addressed in the literature were tested. The models were numerically analyzed with the Adaptive Micro Truss Model (AMTM), which is the proposed method, to address new geometries. This work also studied the main parameters of the constitutive model of concrete based on a statistical analysis of the finite element (FE) results. To estimate the ultimate loads, FE simulations were performed using the Monte Carlo method. Based on the obtained ultimate loads, a probabilistic distribution was created, and the final ultimate loads were computed.

• International journal of steel structures
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1397-1409
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• 2018

Stiffened plates with high slenderness parameters show large out-of-plane deflections, due to elastic buckling, which may occur before the plates reach their ultimate strength. From a serviceability point of view, restriction of out-of-plane deflections exceeding the fabrication tolerance is of primary importance. Compressive strength at the serviceability limit state (SLS) for slender stiffened plates under uniaxial stress was investigated through nonlinear elasto-plastic finite element analysis, considering both geometric and material nonlinearity. Both normal and high-performance steel were considered in the study. The SLS was defined based on a deflection limit and an elastic buckling strength. Probabilistic distributions of the SLS strengths were obtained through Monte Carlo simulations, in association with the response surface method. On the basis of the obtained statistical distributions, partial safety factors were proposed for SLS. Comparisons with the ultimate strength of different design codes e.g. Japanese Code, AASHTO, and Canadian Code indicate that AASHTO and Canadian Code provide significantly conservative design, while Japanese Code matches well with a 5% non-exceedance probability for compressive strength at SLS.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.33-44
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• 2008

Most of the civil structure - bridges, offshore structures, plant, etc. - have been designed by the classical approaches which deal with all the design parameters as deterministic variables. However, some more advanced techniques are required to evaluate the inherent randomness and uncertainty of each design variable. In this research, a seismic safety assessment algorithm based on the structural reliability analysis has been formulated and computerized for more reasonable seismic design of turbine-generator foundations. The formulation takes the design parameters of the system and loading properties as random variables. Using the proposed method, various kinds of parametric studies have been performed and probabilistic characteristics of the resulted structural responses have been evaluated. Afterwards, the probabilistic safety of the system has been quantitatively evaluated and finally presented as the reliability indexes and failure probabilities. The proposed procedure is expected to be used as a fundamental tool to improve the existing design techniques of turbine-generator foundations.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.335-345
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• 2008

In this study, we suggest a stochastic finite element scheme for the probabilistic analysis of the composite laminated plates, which have been applied to variety of mechanical structures due to their high strength to weight ratios. The applied concept in the formulation is the weighted integral method, which has been shown to give the most accurate results among others. We take into account the elastic modulus and in-plane shear modulus as random. For individual random parameters, independent stochastic field functions are assumed, and the effect of these random parameters on the response are estimated based on the exponentially varying auto- and cross-correlation functions. Based on example analyses, we suggest that composite plates show a less coefficient of variation than plates of isotropic and orthotropic materials. For the validation of the proposed scheme, Monte Carlo analysis is also performed, and the results are compared with each other.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1-10
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• 2013

Probabilistic nonlinear first ply failure loads of flat composite panels and nonlinear buckling loads of curved composite panels with cutouts are estimated to provide the more reliable main load carrying structure in the renewable energy industry and offshore structures. The response surface method approximates limit state surface to a second order polynomial form of random variables with the results of deterministic finite element analyses at given sampling design points. Furthermore, the iterative linear interpolation scheme is used to obtain a more accurate approximation of the limit state surface near the most probable failure point (MPFP). The advanced first order second moment method and the Monte Carlo method are performed on an approximated limit state surface to evaluate the probability of failure. Finally, the sensitivity of the reliability index with respect to transformed random variables is investigated to figure out the main random variables that have an effect on failures.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.491-501
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• 2021

This paper aims to evaluate the mechanical integrity for Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) cladding under lateral loads during transportation. The evaluation process requires a conservative consideration of the degradation conditions of SNF cladding, especially the hydride effect, which reduces the ductility of the cladding. The dynamic forces occurring during the drop event are pinch force, axial force and bending moment. Among those forces, axial force and bending moment can induce transverse tearing of cladding. Our assessment of 14 × 14 PWR SNF was performed using finite element analysis considering SNF characteristics. We also considered the probabilistic procedures with a Monte Carlo method and a reliability evaluation. The evaluation results revealed that there was no probability of damage under normal conditions, and that under accident conditions the probability was small for transverse failure mode.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.59-67
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• 2022

In this paper, a reliability-based approach has been implemented to develop seismic analytical fragility curves of highway bridges. A typical bridge class of the Central and South-eastern United States (CSUS) region was selected. Detailed finite element modelling is presented and Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) is used to capture the behavior of the bridge from linear to nonlinear behavior. Bayesian linear regression method is used to define the demand model. A reliability approach is implemented to generate the analytical fragility curves and the proposed approach is compared with the conventional fragility analysis procedure.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.445-452
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• 2010

In this paper an assessment of the internal pressure fragility of the CANDU type containment buildings is performed. The uncertainties of the performance of the containment buildings, material properties and tendon characteristics are referred from the in-service reports of Wolsung Unit 1. The containment buildings are modeled as a three-dimensional finite elements with considering the major opening and penetrations. A new method to evaluate the probabilistic fragility of the massive structural system is developed. The fragility curves of the target containment building are presented with repect to the failure modes and reliability levels. The center of wall is reveled as the most weak structural component of the containment building in the sense of the rupture and catastrophic rupture failure modes.