Effect of void size and Mg contents on plastic deformation behaviors of Al-Mg alloy with pre-existing void: Molecular dynamics study

The plastic deformation properties of cylindrical pre-void Aluminum-Magnesium (Al-Mg) alloy under uniaxial tension are explored using molecular dynamics simulations with embedded atom method (EAM) potential. The factors of Mg content, void size, and temperature are considered. The results show that the void fraction decreases with increasing Mg in the plastic deformation, and it is almost independent of Mg content when Mg is beyond 5%. Both Mg contents and stacking faults around the void affect the void growth. These phenomena are explained by the dislocation density of the sample and stacking faults distribution around the void. The variation trends of yield stress caused by void size are in good agreement with Lubarda model. Moreover, temperature effects are explored, the yield stress and Young's modulus obviously decrease with temperature. Our results may enrich and facilitate the understanding of the plastic mechanism of Al-Mg with defects or other alloys.

Rigid-Plastic Analysis of Seismic Resistant T-Frame considering Moment-Shear Interaction

To select a seismic resistant system, in addition to strength and stiffness, ductility and energy dissipation are important to be considered. Structures have nonlinear behavior under the influence of moderate and strong earthquakes. One of the primary aims in designing seismic resistant structures is to prevent the formation of undesirable collapse mechanisms such as the collapse in only a few storeys of the structure that leads to low energy dissipation. In order to achieve a global collapse mechanism, modern seismic codes provide simple rules for design, which is called the hierarchy criteria. Although these simple criteria could prevent the formation of a soft storey mechanism, they could not lead to an optimal global collapse mechanism. In these mechanisms, the energy dissipation zones include all the yielding zones such as beams, while all other parts of the structure have remained in the elastic range. TRF (T-resisting frame) is an innovative lateral resistant system introduced for architectural reasons and to provide more energy dissipating capability. This system has several collapse mechanisms due to the moment, shear, or moment-shear behavior of its members. In this paper, within the framework of the theory of plastic mechanism control, the rigid-plastic analysis of the TRF system to achieve the desired collapse mechanism is used by considering the moment-shear interaction. According to these analyses, which are performed on a single storey frame, simple hierarchy criteria are developed to create the desired collapse mechanism. Also, these criteria prevent undesired collapse mechanisms in order to have more energy dissipation and more ductility. Finally, the validity of the proposed criteria has been verified by the pushover analysis.

Evaluation of the Seismic Capacity of Existing Moment Resisting Frames by a Simplified Approach: Examples and Numerical Application

The capacity of a structure can be assessed using inelastic analysis, requiring sophisticated numerical procedures such as pushover and incremental dynamic analyses. A simplified method for the evaluation of the seismic performance of steel moment resisting frames (MRFs) to be used in everyday practice has been recently proposed. This method evaluates the capacity of buildings employing an analytical trilinear model without resorting to any non−linear analysis. Despite the methodologies suggested by codes, the assessing procedure herein described is of easy application, also by hand calculation. Furthermore, it constitutes a suitable tool to check the capacity of the buildings designed with the new seismic code prescriptions. The proposed methodology has been set up through a large parametric analysis, carried out on 420frames designed according to three different approaches: the theory of plastic mechanism control (TPMC), ensuring the design of structures showing global collapse mechanism (GMRFs), the one based on the Eurocode 8 design requirements (SMRFs), and a simple design against horizontal loads (OMRFs) without specific seismic requirements. In this paper, some examples of the application of this simplified methodology are proposed with references to structures supposed to exhibit global, partial and soft storey mechanism.

A Method for Reducing of the Overall Torsion for Reinforced Concrete Multi-Storey Irregular Structures

The uneven distributions of mass and stiffness in the case of multi-storey concrete buildings lead to a torsion sensitivity of those civil structures under dynamical loadings like earthquakes or wind and gusts. In order to minimize the overall torsion, it is imperatively necessary to reduce the distance between the centre of mass (CM) and centre of stiffness (CS) in the design stage. In this context, the main purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical method of reducing torsion by minimizing the distance between CM and CS at the level of each floor of the structure. Principal stiffness axes are also changed in convenient directions so that the movement of the structure leads to a favourable plastic mechanism in the fundamental mode of vibration. To achieve the goal, the main objective is to change the dimensions and orientations of the pillars located on the perimeter of the structures. The described method was used to study: irregular shaped structures in plan; structures with stairs or with central concrete core; structures with elevation retractions. The overall torsion reducing was achieved with Matlab programs, and the verification of the results was carried out by using the software ETABS 2016.

Evolutive and Kinematic Limit Analysis Algorithms for Large-Scale 3D Truss-Frame Structures: Comparison Application to Historic Iron Bridge Arch

Two new computational algorithms for the Limit Analysis (LA) of large-scale 3D truss-frame structures recently proposed by the authors are reconsidered and adapted for a comparison prediction of the elastoplastic response of a strategic beautiful historic infrastructure, namely the Paderno d’Adda bridge (or San Michele bridge), a riveted wrought iron railway viaduct that was built in northern Italy in 1889. The first LA algorithm traces a fully exact evolutive piece-wise linear elastoplastic response of the structure, up to plastic collapse, by reconstructing the true sequence of activation of made-available plastic joints (as a generalization of plastic hinges), in the true spirit of LA. The second LA algorithm develops an independent kinematic iterative approach apt to directly determine the plastic collapse state, in terms of collapse load multiplier and plastic mechanism, based on the upper-bound theorem of LA. Specifically, the marvelous doubly built-in parabolic arch of the bridge is analyzed, under a static loading configuration at try-out stage, and its elastoplastic response is investigated, in terms of evolutive load-displacement curve, collapse load multiplier and plastic collapse mechanism. The two LA algorithms are found to much effectively run and perform, despite the rather large size of the computational model, with a number of dofs in the order of four thousands, by achieving good corresponding matches in terms of the estimate of the load-bearing capacity and of the collapse characteristics of the arch substructure, showing this to constitute a well-set structural element. Moreover, the direct kinematic method displays a rather dramatic performance, in truly precipitating from above onto the collapse load multiplier and rapidly adjusting to the collapse mode, in very few iterations, by a considerable saving of computational time, with respect to the complete evolutive elastoplastic analysis. This shall open up the way for further adoption of such advanced LA tools, with LA regaining a new momentum within the modern optimization analysis of structural design and form-finding problems.

POST-EVENT PLASTIC FAILURE ANALYSIS OF SHEAR FRAMES FROM THEIR PRE-EVENT ELASTIC RESPONSE

We demonstrate that plastic failure loads of shear frames can be inferred from their elastic ambient response. The interstory plastic mechanism force is derived for moment-resisting (rigid) frames as a function of two measured elastic (low-amplitude) frequencies. Structural health monitoring techniques are traditionally devised for “post-event” assessment of structures after exposure of a facility to a potentially damaging loading event such as strong earthquakes or blasts. The knowledge of induced damage, its location, and severity in an otherwise functioningstructure, as important as it is, may be too late for precautionary preparations. Naturally, one is interested in identification of potential failure mechanisms and indicators prior to damaging events when a structure is responding to environmental loads elastically. Are post-event plastic failure loads identifiable from the pre-event ambient response? We answer this question by first deriving interstory shear stiffness values from a set of measured ambient frequencies that are then incorporated into post-elastic equilibrium equations for a closed-form expression of failure loads as a function of measured frequencies. We test our procedure using a typical shear frame example as proof of concept. To extend the relevance and applicability of the proposed procedure we consider uncertainties associated with the measured and estimated quantities and assess their effects in our model output. The closed-form solutions presented allow study of fully-stressed designs and we present the optimal stiffness distribution for such designs as another example. It is anticipated that temporal relevance of structural health monitoring techniques to “pre-event” assessment will be extended in the near future to such promising technologies as earthquake early warning systems.