• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.243-259
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• 2023

Turkey is one of the most important earthquake regions in Europe. This region has been exposed to many earthquakes of different magnitudes from past to present. It is of great importance to determine the dynamic properties of the soils for structures to be built in earthquake zones. In order to minimize the damages that may occur, the behavior of the soils under repeated loads should be known and taken into consideration in the design. In this study, 4 different point borings were taken near active fault lines in the North Anatolian fault zone (NAFZ). In order to determine the dynamic parameters of soils, both dynamic triaxial (TRX) and resonant column (RC) tests were carried out on undisturbed samples at every 5 m. As a result of the experiments, V_s and G_max values were obtained from the field and differences were determined. The dynamic behavior of the soil was examined at varying depths with the comparison of reference models in the literature and compatible results were obtained. Finally, the behavior at the transition region is highlighted. As a result, three shear modulus and dumping ratio models have been proposed for clay soils to be used in different soil conditions.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.157-169
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• 2022

Preloading of soft clays is a common ground stabilization method for improvement of compressibility and the undrained shear strength. The waiting period under preload is a primary design criterion controlling the degree of improvement obtained. Upon unloading the overconsolidation attained with respect to actual loads defines the long term performance. This paper presents a laboratory study for investigation of creep behavior of Famagusta Bay alluvial soft soil preloaded under various effective stresses for analysis of long term performance based on the degree of overconsolidation. Traditional one-dimensional consolidation tests as well as modified creep tests are performed on reconstituted soft specimens. Compressibility parameters are precisely backcalculated using one dimensional consolidation theory and the coefficient of creep is determined using the traditional Cassagrande method as well as two modified methods based on log cycles of time and the inflection of the creep curve. The test results indicated that the long term creep can be successfully predicted considering the proposed method. The creep coefficients derived as part of this method can also be related to the recompression index (recompression index, swelling index) considering the results of the testing method adopted in this study.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.529-542
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• 2023

Wave propagation with high transverse deflection could affect the stability of the ball in its trajectory. For low stiffness balls similar to soccer and volleyball balls, the waves are more noticeable in comparison to other balls like ping-pong ball. On the other hand, the soccer balls are under heavy impact loads from shoots and contacting different objects in the field. The maximum recorded speed of a soccer ball after kicking is the 211 km/hr and the average maximum speed is around 112 km/hr. Therefore, in such speeds the aerodynamic forces become important which are directly related to geometrical shape of the ball. In this regard, the wave propagation in soccer ball is examined in the current study using large deformation shear deformable formulations. Classical relations of stress-strain components are taken into consideration along with minimum total energy principle. The final derived relations were solved by using harmonic differential quadrature method. The results are generally presented ion term of phase velocity as function of different influencing parameters of the materials, geometry and mass of the ball.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.803-816
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• 2022

Composite materials are effective in forming externally bonded reinforcements which find applications related to existing structures repair, attributed to their high strength-to-weight ratio and ease of installation. Among various composites, fibre reinforced polymers (FRP) have somewhat been largely accepted as a commonly utilized composite for such purposes. It is only recently that steel fibres have been considered as additional members of the FRP fibre family, intuitively termed as steel reinforced polymer (SRP). Owing to its low cost and permissibility of fibre bending at sharp corners, SRP is rapidly becoming a viable contender to other FRP systems. This paper investigates the bond behaviour of SRP-concrete joints with different bonded lengths (50, 75, 100, 150 and 300 mm) and widths (15, 30, 40, 50, and 75 mm) using single-lap shear tests. The experimental specimens contain SRP strips with a fixed density of steel fibres (0.472 cords/mm) bonded to the face of concrete prisms. The load responses were obtained and compared in terms of corresponding load and slip boundaries of the constant region and the peak loads. The failure modes of SRP composites are discussed, and the range of effective bonded length is evaluated herein. In the end, a new analytical model was proposed to estimate the SRP-concrete bond strength using a genetic algorithm, which outperforms 22 existing FRP-concrete bond strength models.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.519-529
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• 2022

Sandwich structures with the superior mechanical properties such as high stiffness and strength-to-weight ratio, good thermal insulation, and high energy absorption capacity are used today in aerospace, automotive, marine, and civil engineering industries. These structures are composed of moderately stiff, thin face sheets that withstand the majority of transverse and in-plane loads, separated by a thick, lightweight core that resists shear forces. In this research, the finite element technique is used to simulate a sandwich panel with a truss core under axial compressive stress using ABAQUS software. A review of past experimental studies shows that the bondline between the core and face sheets plays a vital role in the critical failure load. Therefore, this modeling analyzes the damage initiation modes and debonding between face sheet and core by cohesive surface contact with traction-separation model. According to the results obtained from the modeling, it can be observed that the adhesive stiffness has a significant influence on the critical failure load of the specimens. To achieve the full strength of the structure as a continuum, a lower limit is obtained for the adhesive stiffness. By providing this limit stiffness between the core and the panel face sheets, sudden failure of the structure can be prevented.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.347-368
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• 2023

In the first part of this study, a numerical simulation model was developed using the mechanical APDL software to validate the results of the 3D-elastisity theory on the laminated sandwich plate developed by Panago. The numerical simulation model showed a good agreement to the results of Pagano's theory in terms of deflection, normal stresses, and shear stresses. In the second part of this study, the developed numerical simulation model was used to define different plates dimensions and fibers layup orientations to examine the load response in terms of deflection and stresses. Further analysis was implemented on the natural frequencies of laminated xxx plates of the plates. The layup configurations include Unidirectional (UD), Cross-Ply (CP), Quasi-Isotropic (QI), the linear bio-inspired known as Linear-Helicoidal (LH), and the nonlinear bio-inspired known as Fibonacci-Helicoidal (FH). The following numerical simulation model can be used for the design and study of novel, sophisticated bio-inspired composite structures in a variety of configurations subjected to sinusoidal or constant loads.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2024

The nonlinear snap-through buckling of functionally graded (FG) carbon nanotube reinforced composite (CNTRC) curved tubes is analytically investigated in this research. It is assumed that the FG-CNTRC curved tube is supported on a three-parameter nonlinear elastic foundation and is subjected to the uniformly distributed pressure and thermal loads. Properties of the curved nanocomposite tube are distributed across the radius of the pipe and are given by means of a refined rule of mixtures approach. It is also assumed that all thermomechanical properties of the nanocomposite tube are temperature-dependent. The governing equations of the curved tube are obtained using a higher-order shear deformation theory, where the traction free boundary conditions are satisfied on the top and bottom surfaces of the tube. The von Kármán type of geometrical non-linearity is included into the formulation to consider the large deflection in the curved tube. Equations of motion are solved using the two-step perturbation technique for nanocomposite curved tubes which are simply-supported and clamped. Closed-form expressions are provided to estimate the snap-buckling resistance of FG-CNTRC curved pipes rested on nonlinear elastic foundation in thermal environment. Numerical results are given to explore the effects of the distribution pattern and volume fraction of CNTs, thermal field, foundation stiffnesses, and geometrical parameters on the instability of the curved nanocomposite tube.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.445-458
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• 2024

The objective of this paper is to present free vibration and static stability analyses of rotating composite beams reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) under uniform thermal loads. Beam structural equations and CNT-reinforced composite (CNTRC) beam formulations are derived based on Timoshenko beam theory (TBT). The temperature-dependent properties of the beam material, such as the elastic modulus, shear modulus, and material density, are assumed to vary over the thickness according to the rule of mixture. The beam material is modeled as a mixture of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in an isotropic matrix. The SWCNTs are aligned and distributed in the isotropic matrix with different patterns of reinforcement, namely the UD (uniform), FG-O, FG-V, FG- Λ and FG-X distributions, where FG-V and FG- Λ are asymmetric patterns. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effects of several essential parameters, including the rotational speed, hub radius, effective material properties, slenderness ratio, boundary conditions, thermal force, and moments due to temperature variation. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study represents the first attempt at the finite element modeling of rotating CNTRC Timoshenko beams under a thermal environment. The results are presented in tables and figures for both symmetric and asymmetric distribution patterns, and can be used as benchmarks for further validation.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.4
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• pp.391-401
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• 2024

The present study focuses on the effect of extension-bending coupling on the elastic stability (buckling) of laminated composite plates. These plates will be loaded under uni-axial or bi-axial in-plane mechanical loads, especially in the orthotropic or anti-symmetric cross-angle cases. The main objective is to find a limit where we can approximate the elastic stability behavior of angularly crossed anti-symmetric plates by the simple behavior of specially orthotropic plates. The contribution of my present study is to predict the explicit effect of extension-flexion coupling on the elastic stability of this type of panel. Critically, a parametric study is carried out, involving the search for the critical buckling load as a function of deformation mode, aspect ratio, plate anisotropy ratio and finally the study of the effect of lamination angle and number of layers on the contribution of extension-flexure coupling in terms of plate buckling stability. We use first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) with a correction factor of 5/6. Simply supported conditions along the four boundaries are adopted where we can develop closed-form analytical solutions obtained by a Navier development.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.515-524
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• 2024

The principal goal of the present study is to examine the aeroelastic analysis of cylindrical laminated shells with curvilinear fibers. To attain this objective, the equations of motion are firstly extracted according to the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT). The linear piston theory is then implemented to estimate aerodynamic loads for various airflow angles over the cylindrical shell area, providing the aeroelastic equations. The well-known isogeometric analysis based on the NURBS basis functions is subsequently developed to discretize the aeroelastic equations of the considered problem. Finally, by writing the resultant equations in the standard form of an eigenvalue problem, the panel flutter analysis of a cylindrical variable stiffness composite laminated (VSCL) shell will be carried out. The comparison and validation of achieved results with the results of references mentioned in the literature are made to demonstrate the accurateness of the present formulation. Also, the influence of various parameters, including the airflow angle, fiber path orientation, radius of curvature, and converting symmetric lay-up to unsymmetrical lay-up on the flutter threshold is studied.