• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.1063-1093
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• 2015

Structural robustness has become an important design variable. However, based on the existing definitions of structural robustness it is often difficult to analyse and evaluate structural robustness, and sometimes not efficient since they mix structural robustness with several other structural variables. This paper concerns the development of a new structural robustness definition, and structural robustness and structural fragility indices. The basis for the development of the new indices is the analysis of the damage energy of structural systems for a given hazard scenario and involves a criterion to define an "unavoidable collapse" state. Illustrative examples are given detailing the steps and calculations needed to obtain values for both the structural robustness and the structural fragility indices. Finally, this paper presents the main advantages of the newly proposed definition and indices for the structural risk analysis over existing traditional methods.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.735-750
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• 2012

This paper presents a comparison between two different procedures to deal with the geometric nonlinear analysis of space trusses, considering its structural stability aspects. The first nonlinear formulation, called positional, uses nodal positions rather than nodal displacements to describe the finite elements kinematics. The strains are computed directly from the proposed position concept, using a Cartesian coordinate system fixed in space. The second formulation, called corotational, is based on the explicit separation between rigid body motion and deformed motion. The numerical examples demonstrate the performances and the convergence of the responses for both analyzed formulations. Two numerical examples were compared, including a lattice beam with postcritical behavior. Despite the two completely different approaches to deal with the geometrical nonlinear problem, the results present good agreement.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2012

A fast precise integration method (FPIM) is proposed for solving structural dynamics problems. It is based on the original precise integration method (PIM) that utilizes the sparse nature of the system matrices and especially the physical features found in structural dynamics problems. A physical interpretation of the matrix exponential is given, which leads to an efficient algorithm for both its evaluation and subsequently the solution of large-scale structural dynamics problems. The proposed algorithm is accurate, efficient and requires less computer storage than previous techniques.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1994.10a
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• pp.137-144
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• 1994

This study describes an application of a knowledge-based system for a part of the development of an integrated structural design system. In preliminary structural design procedure, most structural design operation are performed by structural engineer's manual method. These lack of systematic operation hampers the effective system integration. By introducing expert system to the structural planning stage, structural engineer can automate structural Planning process of an integrated structural design system for complex design. Engineering data management is receiving increasing attention due to complexity of information necessary for performing structural engineering operations. So, in this paper, we describe a methodology for automating conceptual structural design and developing a knowledge-based system integrated with database. At the end, we use an implemented example to support our methodology.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.91 no.4
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• pp.393-401
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• 2024

This study explores the integration of the generative AI, specifically ChatGPT (GPT-4o), into the field of structural analysis and design using the finite element method (FEM). The research is conducted in two main parts: structural analysis and structural design. For structural analysis, two scenarios are examined: one where the FEM source code is provided to ChatGPT and one where it is not. The AI's ability to understand, process, and accurately perform finite element analysis in both scenarios is evaluated. Additionally, the application of ChatGPT in structural design is investigated, including design modifications and parameter sensitivity analysis. The results demonstrate the potential of the generative AI to assist in complex engineering tasks, suggesting a future where AI significantly enhances efficiency and innovation in structural engineering. However, the study also highlights the importance of ensuring the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated results, particularly in safety-critical applications.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.201-209
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• 2019

This paper presents a structural design of the "(Tentative Name) Toranomon Hills Residential Tower" which is currently under construction in Tokyo. The building is a reinforced concrete high-rise residential complex building with 54 stories above ground, 4 basement levels, and a building height of about 220 m. It is a requirement to provide the highest grade of residence in Japan, and in terms of the structural design, it is required to provide wide and comfortable spaces with high seismic performance. These requirements are satisfied by providing a total of 774 vibration control walls of two types. Also, to further improve the structural performance, steel fibers at the rate of 1.0vol% are provided in the ultra-high strength concrete used in the column members.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1988.10a
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• pp.1-6
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• 1988

In this study, the current progress in computational structural engineering and research trends are discussed. The development of new finite elements, error analysis and adaptive mesh generation, material constitutive model, boundary element methods, structural optimal design, hardware/software, AI application and expert systems are particularly emphasized. The rapid development in computer technologies provides good environment for the technical advancement in computational structural engineering.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.291-304
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• 2015

Compared with the identification of linear structures, it is more challenging to conduct identification of nonlinear structure systems, especially when the locations of structural nonlinearities are not clear in structural systems. Moreover, it is highly desirable to develop methods of parametric identification using partial measurements of structural responses for practical application. To cope with these issues, an identification method is proposed in this paper for the detection and parametric identification of structural nonlinear restoring forces using only partial measurements of structural responses. First, an equivalent linear structural system is proposed for a nonlinear structure and the locations of structural nonlinearities are detected. Then, the parameters of structural nonlinear restoring forces at the locations of identified structural nonlinearities together with the linear part structural parameters are identified by the extended Kalman filter. The proposed method simplifies the identification of nonlinear structures. Numerical examples of the identification of two nonlinear multi-story shear frames and a planar nonlinear truss with different nonlinear models and locations are used to validate the proposed method.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.333-347
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• 2009

Due to structural complicacy, structural health monitoring for civil engineering needs more accurate and effectual methods of damage identification. This study aims to import multi-source information fusion (MSIF) into structural damage diagnosis to improve the validity of damage detection. Firstly, the essential theory and applied mathematic methods of MSIF are introduced. And then, the structural damage identification method based on multi-mode information fusion is put forward. Later, on the basis of a numerical simulation of a concrete continuous box beam bridge, it is obviously indicated that the improved modal strain energy method based on multi-mode information fusion has nicer sensitivity to structural initial damage and favorable robusticity to noise. Compared with the classical modal strain energy method, this damage identification method needs much less modal information to detect structural initial damage. When the noise intensity is less than or equal to 10%, this method can identify structural initial damage well and truly. In a word, this structural damage identification method based on multi-mode information fusion has better effects of structural damage identification and good practicability to actual structures.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.131-139
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• 2013

The field of structural fire engineering has evolved within the construction industry, driven largely by the acceptance of performance-based or goal-based design. This evolution has brought two disciplines very close together - that of structural engineering and fire engineering. This paper presents an overview of structural systems that are frequently adopted in tall building design; typical beams and columns, concrete filled steel tube columns and long span beams with web openings. It is shown that these structural members require a structural analysis in relation to their temperature evolution and failure modes to determine adequate thermal protection for a given fire resistance period. When this is accounted for, a more explicit understanding of the behaviour of the structure and significant cost savings can be achieved. This paper demonstrates the importance of structural fire assessments in the context of tall building design. It is shown that structural engineers are more than capable of assessing structural capacity in the event of fire using published methodologies. Rather than assumed performance, this approach can result in a safe and quantified design in the event of a fire.