• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.10 no.6
• /
• pp.541-561
• /
• 2010

This paper presents finite element analyses, experimental measurements and finite element model updating of an arch type steel laboratory bridge model using semi-rigid connections. The laboratory bridge model is a single span and fixed base structure with a length of 6.1 m and width of 1.1m. The height of the bridge column is 0.85 m and the maximum arch height is 0.95 m. Firstly, a finite element model of the bridge is created in SAP2000 program and analytical dynamic characteristics such as natural frequencies and mode shapes are determined. Then, experimental measurements using ambient vibration tests are performed and dynamic characteristics (natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios) are obtained. Ambient vibration tests are performed under natural excitations such as wind and small impact effects. The Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition method in the frequency domain and the Stochastic Subspace Identification method in the time domain are used to extract the dynamic characteristics. Then the finite element model of the bridge is updated using linear elastic rotational springs in the supports and structural element connections to minimize the differences between analytically and experimentally estimated dynamic characteristics. At the end of the study, maximum differences in the natural frequencies are reduced on average from 47% to 2.6%. It is seen that there is a good agreement between analytical and experimental results after finite element model updating. Also, connection percentages of the all structural elements to joints are determined depending on the rotational spring stiffness.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.53-69
• /
• 2023

The rotational stiffness of a semi-rigid beam-to-column connection plays an important role in the reduction of the second-order effects in the precast concrete skeletal frames. The aim of this study is to present a detailed nonlinear finite element study to reproduce the experimental response of a semi-rigid precast beam-to-column connection composed by corbel, dowel bar and continuity tie bars available in the literature. A parametric study was carried using four arrangements of the reinforcing tie bars in the connection, including high ratio of the continuity tie bars passing around the column in the cast-in-place concrete. The results from the parametric study were compared to analytical equations proposed to evaluate the secant rotational stiffness of beam-to-column connections. The good agreement with the experimental results was obtained, demonstrating that the finite element model can accurately predict the structural behaviour of the beam-to-column connection despite its complex geometric configuration. The secant rotational stiffness of the connection was good evaluated by the analytical model available in the literature for ratio of the continuity tie bars of up to 0.69%. Precast beam-to-column connection with a ratio of the continuity tie bars higher than 1.4% had the secant stiffness overestimated. Therefore, an adjustment coefficient for the effective depth of the crack at the end of the beam was proposed for the analytical model, which is a function of the ratio of the continuity tie bars.

• Geosystem Engineering
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.309-317
• /
• 2018

We employ a three-dimensional indirect boundary element method (BEM) to simulate temperature change around an underground liquefied natural gas storage cavern. The indirect BEM (IBEM) uses fictitious heat source strength on boundary elements as basic variables which are solved from equations of boundary conditions and then used to compute the temperature change at other points in the considered problem domain. The IBEM requires evaluation of singular integration for temperature change due to heat conduction from a constant heat source on a planar (triangular) region. The singularity can be eliminated by a semi-analytical integration scheme. However, it is found that the semi-analytical integration scheme yields sharp temperature gradient for points close to vertices of triangle. This affects the accuracy of heat flux, if they are evaluated by finite difference method at these points. This difficulty can be overcome by a combination of using a direct numerical integration for these points and the semi-analytical scheme for other points distance away from the vertices. The IBEM and the hybrid integration scheme have been verified with an analytic solution and then used to the application of the underground storage.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.25 no.7
• /
• pp.1147-1154
• /
• 2001

One of major problems in analyzing failure mechanism of real components is the accurate measurement of crack size and shape. The DCPD(Direct Current Potential Drop) method has been widely used for the crack measurement of a structure and finite element analysis has been used for the derivation of calibration equations, which relates the potential drop with the crack depth. In this paper, finite element analyses were performed for semi-elliptical surface cracks with various crack shapes(a/c) and crack depths(a/t). As a result, a calibration equation has been derived for the measurement of a semi-elliptical surface crack in wide plates. Analytical results are compared with experimental results to evaluate the validity and the applicability of the derived equation. The proposed method is expected to provide efficient and accurate measurement of a surface crack during crack growth.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.71-87
• /
• 2012

This paper extends a single equation, semi-analytical approach for three-span bridges to multi-span ones for the rapid and precise determination of natural frequencies and natural mode shapes of an orthotropic, multi-span plate. This method can be used to study the dynamic interaction between bridges and vehicles. It is based on the modal superposition method taking into account intermodal coupling to determine natural frequencies and mode shapes of a bridge deck. In this paper, a four- and a five-span orthotropic roadway bridge deck are compared in the first 10 modes with a finite element method analysis using ANSYS software. This simplified implementation matches numerical modeling within 2% in all cases. This paper verifies that applicability of a single formula approach as a simpler alternative to finite element modeling.

• Journal of KSNVE
• /
• v.6 no.5
• /
• pp.617-624
• /
• 1996

Finite Element Method(FEM) is one of the most popularly used method in analyzing the dynamic behaviors of structures. But unless the number of finite elements is large enough, the results from FEM are somewhat different form exact analytical solutions, especially at high frequency range. On the other hand, as the Spectral Element Method(SEM) deals directly with the governing equations of structures, the results from this method cannot but be exact regardless of any frequency range. However, despite two dimensional structures are more general, the SEM has been applied only to the analysis of one dimensional structures so far. In this paper, therefore, new methodologies are introduced to analyze the two dimensional plate structure using SEM. The results from this new method are compared with the exact analytical solutions by letting the two dimensional plate structure be one dimensional and showed the dynamic responses of two dimensional plate by including various waves propagated into x-direction.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.85-102
• /
• 1999

With the advent of computer, the finite element method has become a most powerful numerical method for structural analysis. However, bridge designers are reluctant to use it in their designs because of its complex nature and its being time consuming in the preparation of the input data and analyzing the results. This paper describes the development of a computer based finite element model using the idea of eccentric beam elements for the analysis of slab-on-girder bridges. The proposed method is supported by a laboratory test using a reinforced concrete bridge model. Other bridge analytical schemes are also introduced and compared with the proposed method. The main aim of the comparison is to prove the effectiveness of the shell and eccentric beam modelling in the studies of lateral load distribution of slab-on-girder bridges. It is concluded that the proposed finite element method gives a closer to real idealization and its developed computer program, SHECAN, is also very simple to use. It is highly recommended to use it as an analytical tool for the design of slab-on-girder bridges.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.80 no.5
• /
• pp.553-562
• /
• 2021

In this paper, a hybrid scaled boundary finite element and finite volume method (SBFEM-FVM) is proposed for simulating hydraulic-fracture propagation in brittle concrete materials. As a semi-analytical method, the scaled boundary finite element method is introduced for modelling concrete crack propagation under both an external force and water pressure. The finite volume method is employed to model the water within the crack and consider the relationship between the water pressure and the crack opening distance. The cohesive crack model is used to analyse the non-linear fracture process zone. The numerical results are compared with experimental data, indicating that the F-CMOD curves and water pressure changes under different loading conditions are approximately the same. Different types of water pressure distributions are also studied with the proposed coupled model, and the results show that the internal water pressure distribution has an important influence on crack propagation.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.291-306
• /
• 2021

Based on Reissner's mixed variational theorem (RMVT), the authors develop a semi-analytical finite element (FE) method for a three-dimensional (3D) bending analysis of nonhomogeneous orthotropic, complete and incomplete toroidal shells subjected to uniformly-distributed loads. In this formulation, the toroidal shell is divided into several finite annular prisms (FAPs) with quadrilateral cross-sections, where trigonometric functions and serendipity polynomials are used to interpolate the circumferential direction and meridian-radial surface variations in the primary field variables of each individual prism, respectively. The material properties of the toroidal shell are considered to be nonhomogeneous orthotropic over the meridianradial surface, such that homogeneous isotropic toroidal shells, laminated cross-ply toroidal shells, and single- and bi-directional functionally graded toroidal shells can be included as special cases in this work. Implementation of the current FAP methods shows that their solutions converge rapidly, and the convergent FAP solutions closely agree with the 3D elasticity solutions available in the literature.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.537-554
• /
• 2015

Magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) materials under thermal environment exhibits pyroelectric and pyromagnetic coefficients resulting in pyroeffects such as pyroelectric and pyromagnetic. The pyroeffects on the behavior of multiphase MEE sensor bonded on top surface of a mild steel cylindrical shell under thermal environment is presented in this paper. The study aims to investigate how samples having different volume fractions of the multiphase MEE sensor behave due to pyroeffects using semi-analytical finite element method. This is studied at an optimal location on a mild steel cylindrical shell, where the maximum electric and magnetic potentials are induced due to these pyroeffects under different boundary conditions. It is assumed that sensor and shell is perfectively bonded to each other. The maximum pyroeffects on electric and magnetic potentials are observed when volume fraction is $v_f$ = 0.2. Additionally, the boundary conditions significantly influence the pyroeffects on electric and magnetic potentials.