Dynamic response of cable-stayed bridges to moving vehicles using the structural impedance method

The importance of dynamic interactions between cable-stayed bridges and heavy moving vehicles, such as trucks and locomotives, has been recognised by bridge engineers for a long time. A structural impedance algorithm is developed for analysing the dynamic response of cable-stayed bridges subjected to traversing vehicles. The bridge deck is modelled as an elastic plate, and the cables are idealised as springs for simplicity. The vehicles are modelled as a series of masses with suspension systems moving with different speeds and accelerations. A comprehensive computer program, CABLESIM, is developed for the static and dynamic analyses of a cable-stayed bridge. The accuracy of the numerical procedure and its computer implementation is verified with the available analytical and experimental results. A parametric study is conducted to investigate the effects of vehicle velocity, girder depth, different types of cable arrangements, and traffic load on the dynamic response of the deck. The numerical results are expected to be important in assessing the dynamics of cable-stayed bridge components and in determining the safety and allowable traffic conditions.     

Structural instability of nonlinear plates modelling suspension bridges: Mathematical answers to some long-standing questions

We model the roadway of a suspension bridge as a thin rectangular plate and we study in detail its oscillating modes. The plate is assumed to be hinged on its short edges and free on its long edges. Two different kinds of oscillating modes are found: longitudinal modes and torsional modes. Then we analyze a fourth order hyperbolic-like equation describing the dynamics of the bridge. In order to emphasize the structural behavior we consider an isolated equation with no forcing and damping. Due to the nonlinear behavior of the cables and hangers, a structural instability appears. With a finite dimensional approximation we prove that the system remains stable at low energies while numerical results show that for larger energies the system becomes unstable. We analyze the energy thresholds of instability and we show that the model allows to give answers to several questions left open by the Tacoma collapse in 1940.     

Modeling a swimming fish with an initial boundary value problem: Unsteady maneuvers of an elastic plate with internal force generation

In order to model unsteady maneuvers in swimming fish, we develop an initial-boundary value problem for a fourth-order hyperbolic partial differential equation in which the fish's body is treated as an inhomogeneous elastic plate. The model is derived from the three-dimensional equations of elastic dynamics, and is essentially a simple variant of the classical Kirchhoff model for a dynamic plate. The model incorporates body forces generating moment to simulate muscle force generation in fish. The initial-boundary value problem is reduced to a beam model in one spatial dimension and formulated computationally using finite differences. Interaction with the surrounding water is represented by nonlinear viscous damping. Two example applications using simple but physically reasonable physiological parameters are presented and interpreted. One models the acceleration from rest to steady swimming, the other a rapid turn from rest.     

Mathematical models of suspension bridges

In this work we try to explain various mathematical models describing the dynamical behaviour of suspension bridges such as the Tacoma Narrows bridge. Our attention is concentrated on the derivation of these models, an interpretation of particular parameters and on a discussion of their advantages and disadvantages. Our work should be a starting point for a qualitative study of dynamical structures of this type and that is why we have a closer look at the models, which have not been studied in literature yet. We are also trying to find particular conditions for unique solutions of some models.     

Subsonic triple deck flow past a flat plate with an elastic stretch

The steady laminar subsonic flow past a flat plate having a stretch of an elastic membrane, the pressure on the other side of which is adjustable, is studied within the framework of the triple deck theory. The resulting lower deck problem is supplemented with a membrane equation relating the pressure difference across the membrane to its curvature. By pressurizing or depressurizing the membrane, it assumes the form of a hump or a dent that alters the flow characteristics. Numerical solutions obtained, in either case, give plausible account of the interaction between the membrane and the flow.     

Buckling and postcritical behaviour of the elastic infinite plate strip resting on linear elastic foundation

In this paper the von Kármán model for thin, elastic, infinite plate strip resting on a linear elastic foundation of Winkler type is studied. The infinite plate strip is simply-supported and subjected to evenly distributed compressive loads. The critical values of bifurcation parameters and buckling modes for given frequency of longitudinal waves are found on the basis of investigation of linearized problem. The mathematical nonlinear model is reduced to operator equation with Fredholm type operator of index 0 depending on parameters defined in corresponding Hölder spaces. The Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction and the Crandall-Rabinowitz bifurcation theorem (gradient case) are used to examine the postcritical behaviour of the plate. It is proved that there exists maximal frequency of longitudinal waves depending on the compressive load and the stiffness modulus of foundation.     

Free vibration of functionally graded rectangular plates using first-order shear deformation plate theory

The main objective of this research work is to present analytical solutions for free vibration analysis of moderately thick rectangular plates, which are composed of functionally graded materials (FGMs) and supported by either Winkler or Pasternak elastic foundations. The proposed rectangular plates have two opposite edges simply-supported, while all possible combinations of free, simply-supported and clamped boundary conditions are applied to the other two edges. In order to capture fundamental frequencies of the functionally graded (FG) rectangular plates resting on elastic foundation, the analysis procedure is based on the first-order shear deformation plate theory (FSDT) to derive and solve exactly the equations of motion. The mechanical properties of the FG plates are assumed to vary continuously through the thickness of the plate and obey a power law distribution of the volume fraction of the constituents, whereas Poisson’s ratio is set to be constant. First, a new formula for the shear correction factors, used in the Mindlin plate theory, is obtained for FG plates. Then the excellent accuracy of the present analytical solutions is confirmed by making some comparisons of the results with those available in literature. The effect of foundation stiffness parameters on the free vibration of the FG plates, constrained by different combinations of classical boundary conditions, is also presented for various values of aspect ratios, gradient indices, and thickness to length ratios.     

车桥系统的耦合振动

通过用正弦波形模拟桥面的不平和考虑移动车辆-桥梁间的相互作用,在Euler-Bernoulli梁理论的基础上建立了一种车桥系统的耦合振动模型．利用模态分析法和Runge-Kutta法对模型进行数值求解,获得了车桥系统耦合振动的动态响应和共振曲线．发现车桥耦合振动的共振曲线中存在两个共振区域,一个反映主共振而另一个反映次共振．讨论了桥面不平、桥梁振型和车辆间的相互作用对系统振动的影响．数值结果表明,这些参数对系统振动的影响很大,桥面不平和振型对车桥系统耦合振动的影响不能忽略,设计车速应该远离临界车速．     

Exponential decay for elastic systems with structural damping and infinite delay

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we consider nonlinear evolution equations of second order in Banach spaces involving unbounded delay, which can model an elastic system with structural damping involving infinite delays. By using fixed point for condensing maps, we prove the existence and exponential decay of mild solutions. The obtained results can be applied to the nonlinear vibration equation of elastic beams with structural damping and infinite delay.     

An axisymmetric problem of an embedded mixed-mode crack in a functionally graded magnetoelectroelastic infinite medium

This paper investigates the problem of an axisymmetric penny shaped crack embedded in an infinite functionally graded magneto electro elastic medium. The loading consists of magnetoelectromechanical loads applied on the crack surfaces assumed to be magneto electrically impermeable. The material’s gradient is parallel to the axisymmetric direction and is perpendicular to the crack plane. An anisotropic constitutive law is adopted to model the material behavior. The governing equations are converted analytically using Hankel transform into coupled singular integral equations, which are solved numerically to yield the crack tip stress, electric displacement and magnetic induction intensity factors. A similar problem but with a different crack morphology, that is a plane crack embedded in an infinite functionally graded magneto electro elastic medium, was considered by the authors in a previous work (Rekik et al., 2012) [25]. While the overall solution schemes look similar, the axisymmetric problem resulted in more mathematical complexities and let to different conclusions with respect to the influence of coupling between elastic, electric and magnetic effects. The main focus of this paper is to study the effect of material non-homogeneity on the fields’ intensity factors to understand further the behavior of graded magnetoelectroelastic materials containing penny shaped cracks and to inspect the effect of varying the crack geometry.     

Homoclinic Solutions for Swift-Hohenberg and Suspension Bridge Type Equations

We establish the existence of homoclinic solutions for a class of fourth-order equations which includes the Swift-Hohenberg model and the suspension bridge equation. In the first case, the nonlinearity has three zeros, corresponding to a double-well potential, while in the second case the nonlinearity is asymptotically constant on one side. The Swift-Hohenberg model is a higher-order extension of the classical Fisher-Kolmogorov model. Its more complicated dynamics give rise to further possibilities of pattern formation. The suspension bridge equation was studied by Chen and McKenna (J. Differential Equations136 (1997), 325-355); we give a positive answer to an open question raised by the authors.     

Numerical study on bacterial flagellar bundling and tumbling in a viscous fluid using an immersed boundary method

The bundling and tumbling behavior of bacterial flagella in a viscous fluid has got immense significance in the field of biological fluid dynamics. In this paper we investigate the hydrodynamic interaction among two and more than two flagella in a viscous fluid based on an immersed boundary method. We model each helical flagellum by a number of triangular cross-sections with three immersed boundary (IB) points on each cross-section. Three types of elastic links are generated from each IB point to create an elastic network model of the flagellum and the first cross-section is modeled as the flagellar motor. The elastic forces are computed based on the elastic energy approach and the motor forces are obtained from the applied angular frequency of rotation of the motor. The Stokes equations governing the flow are solved on a staggered Cartesian grid system using a fractional-step based finite-volume method. It is observed that when two left-handed helical flagella rotate in the counter-clockwise direction, the resulting hydrodynamic interaction leads to bundling. When one of the flagella reverses the direction of rotation to clockwise the hydrodynamic interaction results in tumbling. During the bundling, the flagella wrap and intertwine each other, whereas during the tumbling they separate in an erratic way. There exists an exact combination of the handedness and rotational direction of the flagella to achieve the bundling. The bundling-to-tumbling behavior of the flagella is studied and it is concluded that the tumbling occurs faster than the bundling. Further, the hydrodynamic interaction among three flagella in a viscous fluid is studied for the cases of rotation in the same direction and in different directions. The bundling and tumbling behavior is well captured even for the case of multiple (more than two) flagella using the developed model.     

Evolution model of linear micropolar plate

In this paper we derive and mathematically justify the two-dimensional evolution model of linear micropolar plates. We start from the three-dimensional evolution equation of micropolar elasticity for thin plate-like bodies. Using the variational techniques we consider the behavior of the solution of the three-dimensional problem when the thickness tends to zero. The limit function satisfies a certain two-dimensional problem then called the evolution micropolar plate model.      

Three-dimensional layerwise-finite element free vibration analysis of thick laminated annular plates on elastic foundation

Using a three-dimensional layerwise-finite element method, the free vibration of thick laminated circular and annular plates supported on the elastic foundation is studied. The Pasternak-type formulation is employed to model the interaction between the plate and the elastic foundation. The discretized governing equations are derived using the Hamilton’s principle in conjunction with the layerwise theory in the thickness direction, the finite element (FE) in the radial direction and trigonometric function in the circumferential direction, respectively. The fast rate of convergence of the method is demonstrated and to verify its accuracy, comparison studies with the available solutions in the literature are performed. The effects of the geometrical parameters, the material properties and the elastic foundation parameters on the natural frequency parameters of the laminated thick circular and annular plates subjected to various boundary conditions are presented.     

Computational analysis of rates of energy decay in elastic beams

This paper is concerned with the damping of elastic beams of two different kinds. The first model involves the application of viscous damping at a single point either in the interior or at the boundary. The second involves a thermoelastic beam model in which mechanical damping is applied at a boundary. Since the second model is known to be uniformly stabilized via thermal effects alone, an analysis of the relative importance of the thermal and applied mechanical damping is presented. A careful analysis of the effects of rotational forces is also included using realistic model parameters.     

An Empirical Comparison of Methods for Computing Bayes Factors in Generalized Linear Mixed Models

Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) are used in situations where a number of characteristics (covariates) affect a nonnormal response variable and the responses are correlated due to the existence of clusters or groups. For example, the responses in biological applications may be correlated due to common genetic factors or environmental factors. The clustering or grouping is addressed by introducing cluster effects to the model; the associated parameters are often treated as random effects parameters. In many applications, the magnitude of the variance components corresponding to one or more of the sets of random effects parameters are of interest, especially the point null hypothesis that one or more of the variance components is zero. A Bayesian approach to test the hypothesis is to use Bayes factors comparing the models with and without the random effects in question—this work reviews a number of approaches for estimating the Bayes factor. We perform a comparative study of the different approaches to compute Bayes factors for GLMMs by applying them to two different datasets. The first example employs a probit regression model with a single variance component to data from a natural selection study on turtles. The second example uses a disease mapping model from epidemiology, a Poisson regression model with two variance components. Bridge sampling and a recent improvement known as warp bridge sampling, importance sampling, and Chib's marginal likelihood calculation are all found to be effective. The relative advantages of the different approaches are discussed.     

Homogenization of thin structured sheet metals by using FEM

Thin structured sheet metals promise high potential concerning lightweight design in industrial applications regarding the classical mechanical engineering and vehicle construction as well as the aeronautics. Compared to flat, unstructured sheet metals the component stiffness and buckling behavior can significantly be improved by structuring especially in out of plane direction. To be able to calculate the elastic behavior of large structures from structured sheet metals a mechanical surrogate model is developed which describes effectively average material parameters based on processes of homogenization. For the surrogate properties symmetry and antisymmetry boundaries and periodic boundaries respectively are contemplated on elementary cells whose structural mechanical behavior is decisive. By using an energetic approach [3] the stiffnesses of large plate and shell structures can be determined by a cooperatively small amount of finite elements. By means of these material properties elastic behavior can easily be calculated. With it an efficient numerical design is guaranteed. This explained analysis can be applied to other periodically built up plate structures. (© 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

DECAY OF ENERGY FOR A DISSIPATIVE ANISOTROPIC ELASTIC SYSTEM

In this article, we study the large-time behavior of energy for a N-dimensional dissipative anisotropic elastic system. By means of multiplicative techniques, energy method, and Zuazua’s estimate technique, we prove the decay property of energy for anisotropic elastic system.     

Analyticity and exponential stability of semigroups for the elastic systems with structural damping in Banach spaces

In this paper, we consider a second order evolution equation in a Banach space, which can model an elastic system with structural damping. New forms of the corresponding first order evolution equation are introduced, and their well-posed property is proved by means of the operator semigroup theory. We give sufficient conditions for analyticity and exponential stability of the associated semigroups.     

Analytical study on dynamic responses of a curved beam subjected to three-directional moving loads

Considering the warping resistance, inertia force and moving three-directional loads, a more comprehensive set of governing equations for vertical, torsional, radial and axial motions of the curved beam are derived. The analytical solutions for vertical, torsional, radial and axial responses of the curved beam subjected to three-directional moving loads are obtained, using the Galerkin method to discretize the partial differential equations and the modal superposition method to decouple the ordinary differential equations. The analytical results are compared with the numerical integration and a published work to verify the validity of the proposed solutions. Effects of Galerkin truncation terms and damping ratio on solution convergence are also discussed. Considering first-mode and higher-mode truncation respectively, the conditions of resonance and cancellation are analyzed for vertical, torsional, radial and axial motions of the curved beam. Taking a curved bridge under passage of a vehicle as an example, the influences of system parameters, such as vehicle speed, braking acceleration, bridge curve radius, bridge span and bridge deck elastic modulus, on bridge midpoint vibration are explored. The proposed approach and results may be beneficial to enhance understanding the three-directional vehicle-induced dynamic responses of curved bridges. It is shown that when the axial motion, or the multiple moving loads are involved, the first-order truncation are not accurate enough and one should use higher-mode truncation to study the responses of curved beams. In addition, it is necessary to consider damping in the vibration study of curved beams.