• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.61-68
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• 2002

Tubular members have been applied in a wide range of frame structures including offshore structures. For the efficient load flow in tubular-member structures, the joints of tubular members are usually reinforced using internal ring stiffener for the steel tubular joint having a large diameter. The objective of this paper is to numerically assess the behavior of X-joints with an internal ring stiffener, and to evaluate the reinforcement effect of a ring stiffener, and to establish the strength formulae. Nonlinear finite element analysis is used to compute the static strength of axially loaded tubular joints. From the numerical results, internal ring stiffener is found to be efficient in improving static strength of tubular X-joints. Maximum strength ratios are calculated as 1.5~3.5, and the effective dimensions of ring stiffener are found. Regression analyses are performed considering practical size of ring stiffener and strength estimation formulae are proposed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.801-811
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• 2011

A new experimental technique was developed on the plate-inserted welded tubular joints of spatial grid structures. In the experimental technique, a microcomputer controlling instrument of moire intervention (MCIMI) was adopted. A test was designed on the plate-inserted welded tubular joints of spatial grid structures to show the effectiveness of the MCIMI technique. Both traditional electrical measuring technique and MCIMI technique were employed in the test. The test results showed that the MCIMI technique was feasible in the case of the complicated tests on steel structures. The MCIMI technique not only implemented the limitation of traditional electrical measuring technique, but also improved the accuracy of the test. According to the test results, we further examined the plate-inserted welded tubular joints in the cable-stayed spatial grids of the Binhai International Convention & Exhibition in Tianjin, China. The analysis showed the joints are safely designed with adequate conservatism. The research provided a new application of MCIMI in the field of large-scale structure engineering.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.425-439
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• 2017

As a thin-walled structure, local joint flexibility (LJF) in a tubular structure is prominent, and it may produce significant effect on the static performance for the overall structure. This study presents a simplified analytical model to analyze the static behavior for a steel tubular structure with LJF. The presented model simplifies a tubular structure into a frame model consisted of beam elements with considering the LJFs at the connections between any two elements. Theoretical equations of the simplified analytical model are deduced. Through comparison with 3-D finite element results of two typical planar tubular structures consisted of T- and Y-joints respectively, the presented method is proved to be accurate. Furthermore, the effect of LJF on the overall performance of the two tubular structures (including the deflection and the internal forces) is also investigated, and it is found from analyses of internal forces and deformation that a rigid connection assumption in a frame model by using beam elements in finite element analysis can provide unsafe and inaccurate estimation.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.639-648
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• 2022

This study aims at numerically and experimentally investigating torsional guided wave mixing with weak material nonlinearity under acoustoelastic effect in tubular structures. The acoustoelastic effect on single central frequency guided wave propagation in structures has been well-established. However, the acoustoelastic on guided wave mixing has not been fully explored. This study employs a three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model to simulate the effect of stress on guided wave mixing in tubular structures. The nonlinear strain energy function and theory of incremental deformation are implemented in the 3D FE model to simulate the guided wave mixing with weak material nonlinearity under acoustoelastic effect. Experiments are carried out to measure the nonlinear features, such as combinational harmonics and second harmonics in related to different levels of applied stresses. The experimental results are compared with the 3D FE simulation. The results show that the generation combinational harmonic at sum frequency provides valuable stress information for tubular structures, and also useful for damage diagnosis. The findings of this study provide physical insights into the effect of applied stresses on the combinational harmonic generation due to wave mixing. The results are important for applying the guided wave mixing for in-situ monitoring of structures, which are subjected to different levels of loadings under operational condition.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.97-121
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• 2023

Through-the-thickness stress distribution in a tubular member has a profound effect on the fatigue behavior of tubular joints commonly found in steel offshore structures. This stress distribution can be characterized by the degree of bending (DoB). Although multi-planar joints are an intrinsic feature of offshore tubular structures and the multi-planarity usually has a considerable effect on the DoB values at the brace-to-chord intersection, few investigations have been reported on the DoB in multi-planar joints due to the complexity of the problem and high cost involved. In the present research, data extracted from the stress analysis of 243 finite element (FE) models, verified based on available parametric equations, was used to study the effects of geometrical parameters on the DoB values in two-planar tubular DYT-joints. Parametric FE study was followed by a set of nonlinear regression analyses to develop six new DoB parametric equations for the fatigue analysis and design of axially loaded two-planar DYT-joints.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.165-169
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• 2001

We describe tubular structures on the cuticle of two representatives of the genus Gordius by scanning electron microscopy. One female from Korea could not be identified further while a male from New Zealand belonged to Gordius paranensis. Other male specimens of G. paranensis did not show tubular structures or the corresponding pores on the cuticle. Therefore it is assumed that tubular structures are not species-specific structures, but also no artifacts or contaminations. They might be glandular products, but this has to be verified by further documentations and investigation of the inner structure of it.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 2017

This article aims at presenting multi objective optimization of parameters that affect crashworthiness characteristics of bi-tubular structures using Taguchi method with grey relational analysis. To design the experiments, the $L_9$ orthogonal array has been used and based on that, the inner tubes have been fabricated by varying the three influence factors such as reference diameter, length difference and numbers of sides of the polygon with three levels, but all the outer cylinders have the same diameter and length 90 mm and 135 mm respectively. Then, the tailor made bi-tubular steel structures were subjected into quasi static axial compression. From the test results it is found that the crushing behaviors of bi-tubular structures with different combinations were fairly significant. The important responses (crashworthiness indicators) specific energy absorption and crush force efficiency have been evaluated from load - displacement curve. Finally optimal levels of parameters were identified using grey relational analysis, and significance of parameters was determined by analysis of variance. The optimum crashworthiness parameters are reference diameter 80 mm, length difference 0 mm and number of sides of polygon is 3, i.e., triangle within the selected nine bi-tube combinations.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.269-276
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• 2001

Tubular structures are widely used for offshore platforms and truss type structures. In this paper, nonlinear finite element analysis is used to assess the static strength of stiffened tubular T-joints subjected to compressive brace loading. This joints was modelled with and without internal ring stiffener According to variation of ring geometries, the effect of ring stiffener for T-joints are investigated. Internal ring stiffener is found to be efficient improving ultimate strength of tubular joints. Relations of ring thickness and axial strength are observed considering geometric parameters of ring stiffeners.

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.545-550
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• 2009

A method fully utilizing multiscale line filter responses is presented to estimate the point spread function(PSF) of a CT scanner and diameters of small tubular structures based on the PSF. The estimation problem is formulated as a least square fitting of a sequence of multiscale responses obtained at each medical axis point to the precomputed multiscale response curve for the ideal line model. The method was validated through phantom experiments and demonstrated through phantom experiments and demonstrated to accurately measure small-diameter structures which are significantly overestimated by conventional methods based on the full width half maximum(FWHM) and zero-crossing edge detection.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.103-122
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• 2006

The capacity of tubular truss chords subjected to concentrated reaction forces in the vicinity of the open end (i.e., the bearing region) is not directly treated by existing design specifications; although capacity equations are promulgated for related tubular joint configurations. The lack of direct treatment of bearing capacity in existing design specifications seems to represent an unsatisfactory situation given the fact that connections very often control the design of long-span tubular structures comprised of members with slender cross-sections. The case of the simple-span overhead highway sign truss is studied, in which the bearing reaction is applied near the chord end. The present research is aimed at assessing the validity of adapting existing specifications' capacity equations from related cases so as to be applicable in determining design capacity in tubular truss bearing regions. These modified capacity equations are subsequently used in comparisons with full-scale experimental results obtained from testing carried out at the University of Pittsburgh.