• 복합신소재구조학회 논문집
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• 제3권4호
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• pp.10-16
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• 2012

This study presents the effectiveness of a composite structure at improving blast resistance. The proposed composite structure consists of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and steel layers. While CFRP layer is used for blast energy reflection due to its high strength, steel layer is used for blast energy absorption due to its high ductility. A dynamic model is used to simulate the elastoplastic behavior of the proposed composite structure subject to blast load. Considering the magnitude variations of a blast event, the probability of failure of each layer is evaluated using reliability analysis. By assigning design probability of failure of each layer in the composite structure, the thickness of layers is optimized. A case study for the design of CFRP-steel composite structure subjected to an uncertain blast event is also presented.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제70권1호
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• pp.81-96
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• 2019

In this paper, a hybrid uncertain model is applied to system reliability based design optimization (RBDO) of trusses. All random variables are described by random distributions but some key distribution parameters of them which lack information are defined by variation intervals. For system RBDO of trusses, the first order reliability method, as well as monotonicity analysis and the branch and bound method, are utilized to determine the system failure probability; and Improved (${\mu}+{\lambda}$) constrained differential evolution (ICDE) is employed for the optimization process. System reliability assessment of several numerical examples and system RBDO of different truss structures are proposed to verify our results. Moreover, the effect of different classes of interval distribution parameters on the optimum weight of the structure and the reliability index are also investigated. The results indicate that the weight of the structure is increased by increasing the uncertainty level. Moreover, it is shown that for a certain random variable, the optimum weight is more increased by the translation interval parameters than the rotation ones.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.165-177
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• 2019

This paper considers corrosion wastage of two ship hull structure members as a part of investigated fuel oil tanks of 25 aging bulk carriers. Taking into account that many factors which influence corrosion wastage of ship hull structures are of uncertain nature, the related corrosion rate ($c_1$) is considered here as a real-valued continuous distribution, assuming that the corrosion wastage starts after 5, 6 or 7 years. In all considered cases, by using available data and applying three basic statistical tests, it is established that between two-parameter continuous distributions, normal, Weibull and logistic distributions are best fitted distributions for the mentioned corrosion rate ($c_1$). Note that the presented statistical, numerical and graphical results concerning two mentioned ship hull structure members allow to compare and discuss the corresponding probabilistic estimates for the corrosion rate ($c_1$).

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제10권4_5호
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• pp.375-391
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• 2012

This paper reports the structural health monitoring benchmark study results for the Canton Tower using Bayesian methods. In this study, output-only modal identification and finite element model updating are considered using a given set of structural acceleration measurements and the corresponding ambient conditions of 24 hours. In the first stage, the Bayesian spectral density approach is used for output-only modal identification with the acceleration time histories as the excitation to the tower is unknown. The modal parameters and the associated uncertainty can be estimated through Bayesian inference. Uncertainty quantification is important for determination of statistically significant change of the modal parameters and for weighting assignment in the subsequent stage of model updating. In the second stage, a Bayesian model updating approach is utilized to update the finite element model of the tower. The uncertain stiffness parameters can be obtained by minimizing an objective function that is a weighted sum of the square of the differences (residuals) between the identified modal parameters and the corresponding values of the model. The weightings distinguish the contribution of different residuals with different uncertain levels. They are obtained using the Bayesian spectral density approach in the first stage. Again, uncertainty of the stiffness parameters can be quantified with Bayesian inference. Finally, this Bayesian framework is applied to the 24-hour field measurements to investigate the variation of the modal and stiffness parameters under changing ambient conditions. Results show that the Bayesian framework successfully achieves the goal of the first task of this benchmark study.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.311-326
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• 2024

Transmission tower structures are particularly susceptible to damage and even collapse under strong seismic ground motions. Conventional seismic analyses of transmission towers are usually performed by considering only ground motion uncertainty while ignoring structural uncertainty; consequently, the performance evaluation and failure prediction may be inaccurate. In this context, the present study numerically investigates the seismic responses and failure mechanism of transmission towers by considering multiple sources of uncertainty. To this end, an existing transmission tower is chosen, and the corresponding three-dimensional finite element model is created in ABAQUS software. Sensitivity analysis is carried out to identify the relative importance of the uncertain parameters in the seismic responses of transmission towers. The numerical results indicate that the impacts of the structural damping ratio, elastic modulus and yield strength on the seismic responses of the transmission tower are relatively large. Subsequently, a set of 20 uncertainty models are established based on random samples of various parameter combinations generated by the Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) method. An uncertainty analysis is performed for these uncertainty models to clarify the impacts of uncertain structural factors on the seismic responses and failure mechanism (ultimate bearing capacity and failure path). The numerical results show that structural uncertainty has a significant influence on the seismic responses and failure mechanism of transmission towers; different possible failure paths exist for the uncertainty models, whereas only one exists for the deterministic model, and the ultimate bearing capacity of transmission towers is more sensitive to the variation in material parameters than that in geometrical parameters. This research is expected to provide an in-depth understanding of the influence of structural uncertainty on the seismic demand assessment of transmission towers.

• Architectural research
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.31-37
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• 2007

This study presents the so-called Modified Allowable Stress Design (MASD) method for structural designs. The objective of this study is to qualitatively estimate uncertainties of tensile steel member's cross-sectional structural designs and find the optimal resulting design which can resist all uncertainty cases. The design parameters are assumed to be interval associated with lower and upper bounds and consequently interval methods are implemented to non-stochastically produce design results including the structural uncertainties. By seeking optimal uncertainty combinations among interval parameters, engineers can qualitatively describe uncertain design solutions which were not considered in conventional structural designs. Under the assumption that structures have basically uncertainties like displacement responses, the safety range of resulting designs is represented by lower and upper bounds depending on given tolerance error and structural parameters. As a numerical example uncertain cross-sectional areas of members that can resist applied loads are investigated and it demonstrates that the present design method is superior to conventional allowable stress designs (ASD) with respect to a reliably structural safety as well as an economical material.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제67권5호
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• pp.439-455
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• 2018

Within a probabilistic framework, this paper addresses the determination of the static structural response of beams and frames with partially restrained (semi-rigid) connections. The flexibility of the nodal connections is incorporated via an idealized linear-elastic behavior of the beam constraints through the use of rotational springs, which are here considered uncertain for taking into account the largely scattered results observed in experimental findings. The analysis is conducted via the Probabilistic Transformation Method, by modelling the spring stiffness terms (or equivalently, the fixity factors of the beam) as uniformly distributed random variables. The limit values of the Eurocode 3 fixity factors for steel semi-rigid connections are assumed. The exact probability density function of a few indicators of the structural response is derived and discussed in order to identify to what extent the uncertainty of the beam constraints affects the resulting beam response. Some design considerations arise which point out the paramount importance of probability-based approaches whenever a comprehensive experimental background regarding the stiffness of the beam connection is lacking, for example in steel frames with semi-rigid connections or in precast reinforced concrete framed structures. Indeed, it is demonstrated that resorting to deterministic approaches may lead to misleading (and in some cases non-conservative) outcomes from a design viewpoint.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.19-37
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• 2013

The optimum design of base isolation system considering model parameter uncertainty is usually performed by using the unconditional response of structure obtained by the total probability theory, as the performance index. Though, the probabilistic approach is powerful, it cannot be applied when the maximum possible ranges of variations are known and can be only modelled as uncertain but bounded type. In such cases, the interval analysis method is a viable alternative. The present study focuses on the bounded optimization of base isolation system to mitigate the seismic vibration effect of structures characterized by bounded type system parameters. With this intention in view, the conditional stochastic response quantities are obtained in random vibration framework using the state space formulation. Subsequently, with the aid of matrix perturbation theory using first order Taylor series expansion of dynamic response function and its interval extension, the vibration control problem is transformed to appropriate deterministic optimization problems correspond to a lower bound and upper bound optimum solutions. A lead rubber bearing isolating a multi-storeyed building frame is considered for numerical study to elucidate the proposed bounded optimization procedure and the optimum performance of the isolation system.

• 한국자동차공학회논문집
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• 제10권6호
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• pp.125-132
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• 2002

Bumpers are structural components to reduce physical damage to the front and rear ends of a passenger motor vehicle from low speed collisions. Damage assessment and the protectiveness are the commonly used designing criteria but in this study, relative displacements of the bumper are examined. To absorb the crash energy without significant damage to the bumper itself, foam material is installed between fascia and beam. However, it is not easy to predict the exact displacements generated in bumper structures through FEM because the compressive stress-strain curve of a foam material depends on strain rates that deviates significantly on each trial. Under this uncertain condition, a range of displacements is calculated and the optimum design is performed using the design of experiments. The result will be used to find the design that minimizes the weight within displacement constraints. The orthogonal array of L9 is introduced to find the optimum of the design variables that considers the thickness of inner beam, outer beam and stay, This study will suggest the design procedure of a front bumper using the uncertain stress-strain curve of a foam material.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.469-488
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• 2008

Finite element methods have often been used for structural analyses of various mechanical problems. When finite element analyses are utilized to resolve mechanical systems, numerical uncertainties in the initial data such as structural parameters and loading conditions may result in uncertainties in the structural responses. Therefore the initial data have to be as accurate as possible in order to obtain reliable structural analysis results. The typical finite element method may not properly represent discrete systems when using uncertain data, since all input data of material properties and applied loads are defined by nominal values. An interval finite element analysis, which uses the interval arithmetic as introduced by Moore (1966) is proposed as a non-stochastic method in this study and serves a new numerical tool for evaluating the uncertainties of the initial data in structural analyses. According to this method, the element stiffness matrix includes interval terms of the lower and upper bounds of the structural parameters, and interval change functions are devised. Numerical uncertainties in the initial data are described as a tolerance error and tree graphs of uncertain data are constructed by numerical uncertainty combinations of each parameter. The structural responses calculated by all uncertainty cases can be easily estimated so that structural safety can be included in the design. Numerical applications of truss and frame structures demonstrate the efficiency of the present method with respect to numerical analyses of structural uncertainties.