• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2024

The construction adit plays a pivotal role in enhancing the working face during the excavation of long-distance and deep hydraulic tunnels. However, the intersection zone between the main tunnel and the construction adit exhibits more intricate deformation patterns in surrounding rock, posing a significant threat to stability during excavation. Taking the Xianglushan tunnel in Yunnan Province, China, as a case study, the FLAC3D software is employed to simulate the excavation process at the intersection. The simulation results are verified combined with the field deformation monitoring results, and the spatial distribution of tunnel rock deformation in the intersection area are analyzed. Five excavation conditions with different intersection angles are simulated, and the surrounding rock deformation of the tunnel intersection area with different intersection angles is analyzed, and its influence range is discussed. The results show that: (1) The surrounding rock deformation in the intersection area increases rapidly during the tunnel excavation. With the increase of construction distance, the deformation of intersection area is gradually stable. (2) The deformation distribution of the tunnel rock is uneven, and the deformation of main tunnel near the intersection area is larger than that far away from the intersection area. (3) With the increase of the intersection angle, the surrounding rock deformation of the tunnel intersection and its influence range decreases gradually. The research results have certain guiding significance for the construction safety of the tunnel intersection area.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.427-443
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• 2024

By using a computational program of three-dimensional aerostatic and aerodynamic stability analysis of long-span bridges under skew wind, the dynamic characteristics and structural stability(including the aerostatic and aerodynamic stability) of a three-tower cable-stayed-suspension hybrid bridge with main span of 1 400 meters are investigated numerically under skew wind, and the skew wind and aerostatic effects on the aerostatic and aerodynamic stability of three-tower cable-stayedsuspension hybrid bridge are ascertained. The results show that the three-tower cable-stayed-suspension hybrid bridge is a longspan structure with greater flexibility, and it is more susceptible to the wind action. The aerostatic instability of three-tower cable-stayed-suspension hybrid bridges is characterized by the coupling of vertical bending and torsion of the girder, and the skew wind does not affect the aerostatic instability mode. The skew wind has positive or negative effects on the aerostatic stability of the bridge, the influence is between -5.38% and 4.64%, and in most cases, it reduces the aerostatic stability of the bridge. With the increase of wind yaw angle, the critical wind speed of aerostatic instability does not vary as the cosine rule as proposed by the skew wind decomposition method, the skew wind decomposition method may overestimate the aerostatic stability, and the maximum overestimation is 16.7%. The flutter critical wind speed fluctuates with the increase of wind yaw angle, and it may reach to the minimum value under the skew wind. The skew wind has limited effect on the aerodynamic stability of three-tower cable-stayed-suspension hybrid bridge, however the aerostatic effect significantly reduces the aerodynamic stability of the bridge under skew wind, the reduction is between 3.66% and 21.86%, with an overall average drop of 11.59%. The combined effect of skew and static winds further reduces the critical flutter wind speed, the decrease is between 7.91% and 19.37%, with an overall average decrease of 11.85%. Therefore, the effects of skew and static winds must be comprehensively considered in the aerostatic and aerodynamic stability analysis of three-tower cable-stayed-suspension hybrid bridges.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.91 no.1
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• pp.1-23
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• 2024

This paper formulates a new integral shear deformation shell theory to investigate the free vibration response of carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced structures with only four independent variables, unlike existing shell theories, which invariably and implicitly induce a host of unknowns. This approach guarantees traction-free boundary conditions without shear correction factors, using a non-polynomial hyperbolic warping function for transverse shear deformation and stress. By introducing undetermined integral terms, it will be possible to derive the motion equations with a low order of differentiation, which can facilitate a closed-form solution in conjunction with Navier's procedure. The mechanical properties of the CNT reinforcements are modeled to vary smoothly and gradually through the thickness coordinate, exhibiting different distribution patterns. A comparison study is performed to prove the efficacy of the formulated shell theory via obtained results from existing literature. Further numerical investigations are current and comprehensive in detailing the effects of CNT distribution patterns, volume fractions, and geometrical configurations on the fundamental frequencies of CNT-reinforced nanocomposite shells present here. The current shell theory is assumed to serve as a potent conceptual framework for designing reinforced structures and assessing their mechanical behavior.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.91 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2024

Bridge deterioration shows the change of bridge condition during its operation, and predicting bridge deterioration is important for implementing predictive protection and planning future maintenance. However, in practical application, the raw inspection data of bridges are not continuous, which has a greater impact on the accuracy of the prediction results. Therefore, two kinds of bridge deterioration models are established in this paper: one is based on the traditional regression theory, combined with the distribution fitting theory to preprocess the data, which solves the problem of irregular distribution and incomplete quantity of raw data. Secondly, based on the theory of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), the network is trained using the raw inspection data, which can realize the prediction of the future deterioration of bridges through the historical data. And the inspection data of 60 prestressed concrete box girder bridges in Xiamen, China are used as an example for validation and comparative analysis, and the results show that both deterioration models can predict the deterioration of prestressed concrete box girder bridges. The regression model shows that the bridge deteriorates gradually, while the LSTM-RNN model shows that the bridge keeps great condition during the first 5 years and degrades rapidly from 5 years to 15 years. Based on the current inspection database, the LSTM-RNN model performs better than the regression model because it has smaller prediction error. With the continuous improvement of the database, the results of this study can be extended to other bridge types or other degradation factors can be introduced to improve the accuracy and usefulness of the deterioration model.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.15-28
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• 2024

The rapid development of the economy has compelled the widen of highways, and the main challenge of this undertaking lies in the uneven settlement of road embankments. Through field and numerical experiments, this study explores the deformation mechanism of shallow buried pipelines due to road widening. The utilization of Plaxis3D software, which is adapt at simulating complex engineering geological conditions, enables the simulation of the settlement of both the central and right-side road embankments. Comparing with other numerical software such as ABAQUS and COMSOL, Plaxis provided more constitutive models including HS, HSS and Hoek-Brown model. The work concludes that the uneven settlement of road cross-sections is positively correlated with the horizontal distance from the pipeline, with a maximum settlement of 73 mm observed after construction. Furthermore, based on the Winkler's assumption, theoretical settlement and stress calculation methods are established. Results indicate that the maximum difference between the calculated values of this formula and simulated values is 1.9% and 7%, respectively. Additionally, the study investigates the stress and settlement of the pipeline's top under different angles to understand its behavior under various conditions. It finds that with traffic loads applied to the new embankment, a lever effect occurs on the lower pipeline, with the fulcrum located within the central isolation zone, leading to a transition in curve type from "single peak and single valley" to "double peak and single valley." Moreover, the settlement of pipelines on both sides of the central isolation zone and the normal stress of the pipeline's top section are symmetrical.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.93-122
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• 2024

One well-known reason for using Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites is to improve concrete strength and strain capacity via external confinement. Hence, various studies have been undertaken to offer a good illustration of the response of FRP-wrapped concrete for practical design intents. However, in such studies, the strength and strain of the confined concrete were predicted using regression analysis based on a limited number of test data. This study presents an approach based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) to develop models to predict the strength and strain at maximum stress enhancement of circular concrete cross-sections confined with different FRP types (Carbone, Glass, Aramid). To achieve this goal, a large test database comprising 493 axial compression experiments on FRP-confined concrete samples was compiled based on an extensive review of the published literature and used to validate the predicted artificial intelligence techniques. The ANN approach is currently thought to be the preferred learning technique because of its strong prediction effectiveness, interpretability, adaptability, and generalization. The accuracy of the developed ANN model for predicting the behavior of FRP-confined concrete is commensurate with the experimental database compiled from published literature. Statistical measures values, which indicate a better fit, were observed in all of the ANN models. Therefore, compared to existing models, it should be highlighted that the newly developed models based on FRP type are remarkably accurate.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2024

In order to enhance the seismic performance of base-isolated structures on soft foundations, the hybrid system of base-isolated system (BIS) and shape memory alloy inerter (SMAI), referred to as BIS+SMAI, is for the first time here proposed. Considering the nonlinear hysteretic relationships of both the isolation layer and SMA, and soil-structure interaction (SSI), the equivalent linearized state space equation is established of the structure-BIS+SMAI system. The displacement variance based on the H₂ norm is then formulated for the structure with BIS+SMAI. Employing the particle swarm optimization, the optimization design methodology of BIS+SMAI is presented in the frequency domain. The evolvement rules of BIS+SMAI in the effectiveness, robustness, SMA driving force, inertia force, stroke, and damping enhancement effect are revealed in the frequency domain through changing the inerter-mass ratio, structural height, aspect ratio, and relative stiffness ratio between the soil and structure. Meanwhile, the validation of BIS+SMAI is conducted using real earthquake records. Results demonstrate that BIS+SMAI can effectively reduce the isolation layer displacement. The inerter can significantly increase the hysteretic displacement of SMA and thus enhance its energy dissipation capacity, implying that BIS+SMAI has better effectiveness than BIS+SMA. Although BIS+SMAI and BIS+ tuned inerter damper (TID) have practically the same effectiveness, BIS+SMAI has the lower optimum damping, significantly smaller inertia force, and higher robustness to perturbations of the optimum parameters. Therefore, BIS+SMAI can be used as a more engineering realizable hybrid system for enhancing the performance of base-isolated structures in soft soil areas.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.17-29
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• 2024

The traditional double story isolated structure is a derivative of the base isolated and inter-story isolated structures, while the new double story isolated structure represents a novel variation derived from the traditional double story isolated structure. In order to investigate the seismic response of the new double story isolated structure, a comprehensive structural model was developed. Concurrently, models for the basic fixed, base isolated, inter-story isolated, and traditional double story isolated structures were also established for comparative analysis. The nonlinear dynamic time-history response of the new double story isolated structure under rare earthquake excitations was analyzed. The findings of the study reveal that, in comparison to the basic fixed structure, the new double story isolated structure exhibits superior performance across all evaluated aspects. Furthermore, when compared to the base isolated and inter-story isolated structures, the new double story isolated structure demonstrates significant reductions in inter-story shear force, top acceleration, and inter-frame displacement. The horizontal displacement of the new double story isolated structure is primarily localized within the two isolation layers, effectively dissipating the majority of input seismic energy. In contrast to the traditional double story isolated structure, the new design minimizes displacements within the inter-isolation layer situated in the central part of the frame, as well as mitigates the overturning forces acting on the lower frame column. Consequently, this design ensures the structural integrity of the core tube, thereby preventing potential collapse and structural damage.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.171-210
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• 2024

This paper focuses on the rigorous and holistic fatigue analysis of mooring chains for a deep draft semi-submersible platform in the challenging environment of the central Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Known for severe hurricanes and strong loop/eddy currents, this region significantly impacts offshore structures and their mooring systems, necessitating robust designs capable of withstanding extreme wind, wave and current conditions. Wave scatter and current bin diagrams are utilized to assess the probabilistic distribution of waves and currents, crucial for calculating mooring chain fatigue. The study evaluates the effects of Vortex Induced Motion (VIM), Out-of-Plane-Bending (OPB), and In-Plane-Bending (IPB) on mooring fatigue, alongside extreme single events such as 100-year hurricanes and loop/eddy currents including ramp-up and ramp-down phases, to ensure resilient mooring design. A detailed case study of a deep draft semi-submersible platform with 16 semi-taut moorings in 2,500 meters of water depth in the central GoM provides insights into the relative contributions of wave scatter diagram, VIMs from current bin diagram, the combined stresses of OPB/IPB/TT and extreme single events. By comparing these factors, the study aims to enhance understanding and optimize mooring system design for safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness in offshore operations within the central GoM. The paper addresses a research gap by proposing a holistic approach that integrates findings from various contributions to advance current practices in mooring design. It presents a comprehensive framework for fatigue analysis and design optimization of mooring systems in the central GoM, emphasizing the critical importance of considering environmental conditions, OPB/IPB moments, and extreme single events to ensure the safety and reliability of mooring systems for offshore platforms.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2024

The design of disturbed regions in reinforced concrete structures usually applies the well known Strut and Tie Method (STM). As an alternative, the Stringer-Panel Method (SPM), an intermediate model between STM and the Finite Element Method (FEM), consists in dividing a structure into two distinct elements: the stringers (which carry axial forces) and panels (which carry shear forces). SPM has already showed good applicability in manual calculations and computer implementations, and its most known application was SPanCAD, an AutoCAD plugin for linear and nonlinear analysis by SPM. Unfortunately, SPanCAD was discontinued by the developers, and it's not compatible with the most recent versions of AutoCAD. So, this paper aims to present a computer program that was developed as an upgrade to the latter: the Stringer Panel Modelling Tool (SPMTool), which is intended to be an auxiliary design tool and it presents improvements, in comparison to SPanCAD. It is possible to execute linear and nonlinear analysis by three distinct formulations: Modified Compression Field Theory (MCFT), Disturbed Stress Field Model (DSFM) and Softened Membrane Model (SMM). The nonlinear results were compared to experimental data of reinforced concrete elements that were not designed by SPM; these elements were also analyzed in SPanCAD. On overall, SPMTool made more realistic predictions to the behavior of the analyzed structures than SPanCAD. Except for DSFM predictions for corbels (1.24), in overall average, the ultimate load predictions were conservative (0.85 to 0.98), which is a good aspect for a design tool. On the other hand, the cracking load predictions presented overestimations (1.06 to 1.47) and higher variations (25.59% to 34.25%) and the post-cracking behavior could not be accurately predicted; for this use case, a more robust finite element software is recommended.