• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 2017

A $C^0$ FE model developed based on an efficient higher order zigzag theory is used for hygrothermal analysis of laminated composite plates. The $C^0$ FE model satisfies the inter-laminar shear stress continuity at the interfaces and zero transverse shear stress conditions at plate top and bottom. In this model the first derivatives of transverse displacement have been treated as independent variables to circumvent the problem of $C^1$ continuity associated with the above plate theory. In the present theory the above mentioned $C^0$ continuity of the present element is compensated in the stiffness matrix formulation by using penalty parameter approach. In order to avoid stress oscillations observed in the displacement based finite element, the stress field derived from temperature/moisture fields (initial strains) must be consistent with total strain field. Special steps are introduced by field consistent approach (e.g., sampling at gauss points) to compensate this problem. A nine noded $C^0$ continuous isoparametric element is used in the proposed FE model. Comparison of present numerical results with other existing solutions shows that the proposed FE model is efficient, accurate and free of locking.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.393-417
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• 2015

In this paper an 8-node quadrilateral assumed stress hybrid Mindlin plate element with $39{\beta}$ is presented. The formulation is based on complementary energy principle. The proposed element is free of shear locking and is capable of passing all the patch tests, especially the non-zero constant shear enhanced patch test. To accomplish this purpose, special attention is devoted to selecting boundary displacement interpolation and stress approximation in domain. The arbitrary order Timoshenko beam function is successfully used to derive the boundary displacement interpolation. According to the equilibrium equations, an appropriate stress approximation is rationally derived. Particularly, in order to improve element's accuracy, the assumed stress field is derived by employing $39{\beta}$ rather than conventional $21{\beta}$. The resulting element can be adopted to analyze both moderately thick and thin plates, and the convergence for the very thin case can be ensured theoretically. Excellent element performance is demonstrated by a wide of experimental evaluations.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.471-488
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• 2012

An efficient one dimensional finite element model has been presented for the dynamic analysis of composite laminated beams, using the efficient layerwise zigzag theory. To meet the convergence requirements for the weak integral formulation, cubic Hermite interpolation is used for the transverse displacement ($w_0$), and linear interpolation is used for the axial displacement ($u_0$) and shear rotation (${\psi}_0$). Each node of an element has four degrees of freedom. The expressions of variationally consistent inertia, stiffness matrices and the load vector are derived in closed form using exact integration. The formulation is validated by comparing the results with the 2D-FE results for composite symmetric and sandwich beams with various end conditions. The employed finite element model is free of shear locking. The present zigzag finite element results for natural frequencies, mode shapes of cantilever and clamped-clamped beams are obtained with a one-dimensional finite element codes developed in MATLAB. These 1D-FE results for cantilever and clamped beams are compared with the 2D-FE results obtained using ABAQUS to show the accuracy of the developed MATLAB code, for zigzag theory for these boundary conditions. This comparison establishes the accuracy of zigzag finite element analysis for dynamic response under given boundary conditions.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.625-642
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• 2010

The Integrated Force Method (IFM) is a novel matrix formulation developed for analyzing the civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering structures. In this method all independent/internal forces are treated as unknown variables which are calculated by simultaneously imposing equations of equilibrium and compatibility conditions. This paper presents a new 12-node serendipity quadrilateral plate bending element MQP12 for the analysis of thin and thick plate problems using IFM. The Mindlin-Reissner plate theory has been employed in the formulation which accounts the effect of shear deformation. The performance of this new element with respect to accuracy and convergence is studied by analyzing many standard benchmark plate bending problems. The results of the new element MQP12 are compared with those of displacement-based 12-node plate bending elements available in the literature. The results are also compared with exact solutions. The new element MQP12 is free from shear locking and performs excellent for both thin and moderately thick plate bending situations.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.633-649
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• 2022

This paper is first implemented with the bending behavior of three-dimensional functionally graded (3DFG) plates in the framework of level set-based topology optimization (LS-based TO). Besides, due to the suitable properties of the current design domain, the thin-plate spline (TPS) is recognized as a RBF to construct the LS function. The overall mechanical properties of the 3DFG plate are assessed using a power-law distribution scheme via Mori-Tanaka micromechanical material model. The bending response is obtained using the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT). The mixed interpolation of four elements of tensorial components (MITC4) is also implemented to overcome a well-known shear locking problem when the thickness becomes thinner. The Hamilton-Jacobi method is utilized in each iteration to enforce the necessary boundary conditions. The mathematical formulas are expressed in great detail for the LS-based TO using 3DFG materials. Several numerical examples are exhibited to verify the efficiency and reliability of the current methodology with the previously reported literature. Finally, the influences of FG materials in the optimized design are explained in detail to illustrate the behaviors of optimized structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.88 no.5
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• pp.439-449
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• 2023

Non-linear vibration characteristics of functionally graded CNT-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) cylindrical shell panel on elastic foundation have not been sufficiently examined. In this situation, this study aims at the profound numerical investigation of the non-linear vibration response of FG-CNTRC cylindrical panels on Winkler-Pasternak foundation by introducing an accurate and effective 2-D meshfree-based non-linear numerical method. The large-amplitude free vibration problem is formulated according to the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) with the von Karman non-linearity, and it is approximated by Laplace interpolation functions in 2-D natural element method (NEM) and a non-linear partial derivative operator H_NL. The complex and painstaking numerical derivation on the curved surface and the crucial shear locking are overcome by adopting the geometry transformation and the MITC3+ shell elements. The derived nonlinear modal equations are iteratively solved by introducing a three-step iterative solving technique which is combined with Lanczos transformation and Jacobi iteration. The developed non-linear numerical method is estimated through the benchmark test, and the effects of foundation stiffness, CNT volume fraction and functionally graded pattern, panel dimensions and boundary condition on the non-linear vibration of FG-CNTRC cylindrical panels on elastic foundation are parametrically investigated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.88 no.1
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• pp.83-94
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• 2023

An accurate and highly efficient inverse element labelled iPCB is developed based on the inverse finite element method (iFEM) for real-time shape estimation of plane-curved structures (such as arch bridges) utilizing onboard strain data. This inverse problem, named shape sensing, is vital for the design of smart structures and structural health monitoring (SHM) procedures. The iPCB formulation is defined based on a least-squares variational principle that employs curved Timoshenko beam theory as its baseline. The accurate strain-displacement relationship considering tension-bending coupling is used to establish theoretical and measured section strains. The displacement fields of the isoparametric element iPCB are interpolated utilizing nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) basis functions, enabling exact geometric modelling even with a very coarse mesh density. The present formulation is completely free from membrane and shear locking. Numerical validation examples for different curved structures subjected to different loading conditions have been performed and have demonstrated the excellent prediction capability of iPCBs. The present formulation has also been shown to be practical and robust since relatively accurate predictions can be obtained even omitting the shear deformation contributions and considering polluted strain measures. The current element offers a promising tool for real-time shape estimation of plane-curved structures.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.17-27
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• 1995

For the post-buckling and elasto-plastic analysis of shell structures, the total Lagrangian formulation is presented based upon the degenerated shell element. Geometrically correct formulation is developed by updating the direction of normal vectors in the iteration process and evaluating the total Green-Lagrange stain corresponding U total displacements. In the calculation of the stiffness matrix, the element formulation takes into account the effect of finite rotation increments by retaining second order rotation terms in the incremental displacement field. The selective or reduced integration scheme using the heterosis element is applied in order to overcome both shear locking phenomena and the zero energy mode. The load/displacement incremental scheme is adopted for geometric non-linear F .E. analysis. Based on such methodology, the computer program is developed and numerical examples to demonstrate the accuracy and the effectiveness of the proposed shell element are presented and compared with references's results.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.1039-1046
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• 2018

This paper presents a limit analysis of the series of construction stages of shallow tunneling method by investigating their respective safety factors and failure mechanisms. A case study for one particular cross-section of Beijing Subway Line 7 is undertaken, with a focus on the effects of multiple soil layers and construction sequencing of dual tunnels. Results show that using the step-excavation technique can render a higher safety factor for the excavation of a tunnel compared to the entire cross-section being excavated all at once. The failure mechanisms for each different construction stage are discussed and corresponding key locations are suggested to monitor the safety during tunneling. Simultaneous excavation of dual tunnels in the same cross-section should be expressly avoided considering their potential negative interactions. The normal and shear forces as well as bending moment of the primary lining and locking anchor pipe are found to reach their maximum value at Stage 6, before closure of the primary lining. Designing these struts should consider the effects of different construction stages of shallow tunneling method.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.272-282
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• 2000

Based on numerical reduced minimization theory, new anisoparametric 3-node elements for out-of-plane curved beam are developed. The elements are designed to be free from spurious constraints. In this paper, the effect of the Jacobian upon numerical solution is analyzed and predicted through reduced minimization analysis of anisoparametric 3-node elements with different Jacobian assumption. The prediction is verified by numerical tests for circular and spiral out-of-plane deformable curved beam models. This paper proposes two kinds of 3-node elements with 7-DOF; one element employs 2-point integration for all strains, and the other element uses 3-point integration with a constant Jacobian within element for calculation of shear strain.