Reliability Against Defect Generated Fracture

ABSTRACT

The subject of this study is the reliability determination for structures that may fail due to fracture generated from some material defect among a random number of small random defects distributed in some way throughout the body of the structure. The considered failure mechanism may be characterized as a weakest link mechanism with a random number of links. The calculation technique is based on some previously published general narrow probability bounds for unions of small probability events. In the case of high reliability structures, as are usually of interest in structural engineering, some very useful conclusions may be drawn from the study. Given only the defect fracture probability corresponding to the actual stress field and the mean number of defects per unit volume both as functions of the space coordinates, a sufficiently accurate assessment of the total reliability may be calculated. With rare exceptions, no dependency information is needed and no information about the defect point process is needed except its mean function. The reliability is insensitive to very large variations of these properties. If there is doubt about the dependency level being too high to neglect it, conditioning followed by fast probability integration may be useful. This is illustrated in the last section of the paper.     

结构可靠性优化中的灵敏度分析

文中构建了基于可靠性的工程结构优化设计数学模型，并利用二阶矩理论将结构位移和单元应力可靠性约束进行了等价化处理，在此基础上导出了位移和应力的可靠性指标函数对设计变量的灵敏度计算表达式。这一表达式简洁规范并具有普遍性，对于类似以二阶矩形式表出的可靠性指标函数的灵敏度求解均成立。算例表明本文给出的基于可靠性的结构敏度计算公式是有效和正确的。     

Fundamental aspects of curvature indices for characterizing dynamical systems

It is important to characterize the properties of dynamical systems by a quantity that signifies their structural changes, in particular those associated with occurrence of chaos or other transitional behaviors. There are some well-known indices, such as Lyapunov exponent, fractal dimension, and Kolmogorov entropy, while in this article we use a new quantifier, named the curvature index, to study the dynamical systems. The curvature index (proposed by Chen and Chang in Chaos 22(2):371–383 2012) is defined as the limit of the average curvature of a trajectory during evolution for a dynamical system, which lumps all the bending effects of the trajectory to a number, and estimates its average size (such as an attractor) in virtue of an inscribed space ball. One may define N-1 curvature indices for an N-dimensional dynamical system. Once the system undergoes a structural change, there are corresponding changes in the first and/or higher curvatures. The study is aimed to examine fundamental aspects of the curvature indices with further applications to some outstanding examples of dynamical systems in the literature, in parallel to the analysis by the Lyapunov exponents.     

基于可能性理论的结构模糊可靠性方法

利用模糊变量描述结构的不确定性 ,基于可能性理论和模糊区间分析 ,依据基于区间分析的非概率可靠性方法 ,建立了用于模糊结构和系统的能度可靠性模型。该模型可给出模糊可靠性指标的可能性分布和结构失效的可能性度量 ,并提供更多的关于结构安全程度的有用信息 ,且应用简便。算例分析说明了文中方法的应用     

基于可靠性约束的结构优化设计技术研究

建立结构重量最小化、可靠度为约束的优化模型。将结构近似为串联可靠度模型，每个元件作为一失效单元；由应力状况建立元件的失效函数。采用一次二阶矩法求解元件的可靠性指标；用元件失效概率的和来表示结构失效概率；将结构失效概率的允许值平分给元件，建立设计变量的显示迭代式，并用满可靠度法进行修正，获得最终设计结果。在开展结构静强度优化设计的同时，对元件在线弹性范围内的屈曲可靠性优化设计问题做了初步的研究。桁架结构和机翼盒段结构的可靠性优化结果表明，与现有方法相比，本文提出的方法在具有较高精度的同时，极大地提高了优化设计的效率。     

结构可靠性分析方法——AFOSM的进一步精确化

给出了结构可靠性分析方法－改进一次二阶矩法（AFOSM）一套新的计算公式，并以纤维增强复合材料层合板结构为研究对象，运用随机有限元法（SFEM）数值计算方法分析各单层板的可靠性指标β。文中算例计算结果表明，本文给出的计算公式是合理的和有效的，而且用它所得计算结果比用原AFOSM所得结果更加精确。     

结构可靠度的当量正态PFSORM算法

对结构功能函数为相关非正态随机变量构成情况 ,使用PFSORM算法确定结构二次可靠指标须使用随机变量的条件分布函数及其反函数。工程实践中随机变量的条件分布函数及其反函数常不易确定。基于此 ,本文提出当量正态PFSORM算法 ,仅需要随机变量的分布函数、分布密度函数及其相关系数即可     

结构非概率可靠性指标的求解方法

在结构的非概率可靠性方法中,结构的可靠性是用非概率可靠性指标来度量的。本文研究了区间变量的一般运算规则,给出了非概率可靠性指标的三种求解方法：定义法、转换法和优化法。给出了定义法的具体描述和实现方法,并给出了转换法的一般求解步骤和一种可通用的区间优化算法的实现过程。三种方法的给出,基本上解决了结构可靠性分析中非概率可靠性指标的求解问题。实例计算表明所提方法是有效和可行的。     

基于更新支持向量的大跨度斜拉桥体系可靠度分析

针对斜拉桥静力体系可靠度分析中隐式功能函数重构和繁杂失效路径的特点,提出了一种基于更新支持向量的体系可靠度分析方法,将传统的用于构件可靠度分析的支持向量机(SVM)改进并应用于斜拉桥体系可靠度分析。该方法主要有4个步骤:首先通过构件的敏感分析识别斜拉桥的主要失效路径;其次采用最小二乘支持向量机(LS-SVM)对斜拉桥的隐式功能函数进行重构,并通过Monte-Carlo抽样得出构件的可靠指标;然后根据已经更新的有限元模型对支持向量进行更新,得出相关构件失效后的剩余构件的条件可靠指标;最后由结构体系的失效树和串并联关系得出斜拉桥的体系可靠度。主跨为420m的混凝土斜拉桥算例分析表明了上述算法的有效性和实用性,同时也获得了该斜拉桥的主要失效路径并识别了影响其体系可靠度的主要构件。     

Narrow Reliability Bounds for Structural Systems

ABSTRACT

For structural systems that may fail in any one of several possible modes, reliability analysis is greatly simplified by use of upper and lower bound techniques. General bounds based on all the single mode failure probabilities and all the pairwise mode intersection failure probabilities are established. For systems where the single mode limit state surfaces are hyperplanes in the space of basic variables, a simple geometrical interpretation of the correlation between mode safety margins combined with a well-known geometrical interpretation of the single mode reliability index makes the practical calculation of the system reliability bounds easy. This is particularly true when the set of basic variables is jointly normally distributed. Examples show very narrow bounds which, in the practically important domain of high reliability, are almost coincident.     

论不确定性结构力学的发展

结构力学是直接为工程结构设计服务的,而工程设计中包含大量不确定性因素和信息,包括随机性、模糊性和未确知性信息.由于引用统计数学方法处理随机性问题,在结构力学中产生了可靠性理论和随机振动理论.随着模糊性和未确知性问题的提出和研究,近年来在结构力学中又逐渐形成了一些新的分支,包括结构的不确定性优化设计,广义(模糊随机)可靠性理论,模糊随机振动理论和模糊地震工程学等.本文简要地介绍这四个新的分支的发展情况,主要介绍作者及其学生们的工作,并着重介绍基本概念.      

论不确定性结构力学的发展

结构力学是直接为工程结构设计服务的,而工程设计中包含大量不确定性因素和信息,包括随机性、模糊性和未确知性信息．由于引用统计数学方法处理随机性问题,在结构力学中产生了可靠性理论和随机振动理论．随着模糊性和未确知性问题的提出和研究,近年来在结构力学中又逐渐形成了一些新的分支,包括结构的不确定性优化设计,广义(模糊随机)可靠性理论,模糊随机振动理论和模糊地震工程学等．本文简要地介绍这四个新的分支的发展情况,主要介绍作者及其学生们的工作,并着重介绍基本概念．     

Numerical modeling of damage detection in concrete beams using piezoelectric patches

Research and development of active monitoring systems for reinforced concrete structures should lead to improved structural safety and reliability. Numerical models of active monitoring and damage detection systems can help in the development and implementation of these systems. Modeling of damage detection process in a concrete beam with piezoelectric sensors/actuators based on wave propagation is investigated in this paper. Numerical modeling process is divided into two parts: (1) piezoelectric smart aggregates (SA), and (2) wave propagation models. Displacement obtained in the SA model is used as an input parameter for the modeling of wave propagation. Wavelet analysis is used as a signal processing tool and the damage index is calculated based on the wave energy. In this paper root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) damage index is used. Damage indices obtained by this numerical analysis are compared with experimental results. Very good fit between the finite element (FE) results and experimental results confirm a good FE approach of this problem.     

The Potential Scope of the Ultrasonic Surface Reflection Method Towards Mechanical Characterisation of Isotropic Materials. Part 2. Experimental Results

Background

This paper is Part 2 of a study on the scope of the ultrasonic Surface Reflection Method (SRM). Part 1 deals with the theoretical conditions for a satisfactory usage of this method.

Objective

This second part validates the practical feasibility and reliability of the SRM method by comparison with the conventional Transmission Method (TM) in cases where the latter is applicable.

Methods

Two experimental devices (one for SRM and one for TM) are developed and measurements of shear and bulk moduli are carried out at ultrasonic frequency (610 kHz) and at room temperature.

Results

The experimental conditions in terms of sample geometry, pulse characteristics and interfacial transmission required to obtain a given accuracy on the measurement are stated. The SRM is then validated against other experimental methods and is used to determine the shear modulus of a carbon black filled neoprene at ambient temperature (T?=?21 °C) and ultrasonic frequency.

Conclusions

The benefit brought by this method is well demonstrated: a unique measurement allows the determination of all the moduli of a highly damping isotropic material (carbon black filled neoprene) not achievable by other methods.

     

结构元件安全评估与监控的风险预测方法

提出了一种评估结构疲劳可靠性的方法－风险预测方法。该方法利用结构在服股过役过程中的信息,在考虑了工程结构承采载荷的各态历经性的基础上,结合了结构元件寿命机分布形式和Ｍｉｎｅｒ线性累积损伤理论,以风险值来评价并监控结构元件在不同时间失效的危险性,并用算例和试验结果进行对比分析。     

Fatigue crack growth model for assessing reliability of box-girders for cable-stayed bridge combining SHMS with strain data

Enhancement of the computer algorithm developed for the Runyang cable-stayed bridge (RYCB) in China is made by incorporating the fatigue crack growth analysis in contrast to the SN curve approach. Strain data obtained from the structural health monitoring system (SHMS) and finite element calculations are used. This provides the application of a deterministic method in addition to the probabilistic approach with the added feature of crack growth. The choice of selecting the two-parameter fatigue crack growth criterion was based on the definition of reliability index β such that the new results can be compared with those using the SN curves. A gradual drop of the reliability index β with time with an upper limit was obtained for the crack growth model in contrast to the linear time relation for the SN curve model that had no upper limit. This difference is significant and reveals the importance for selecting the fatigue failure criterion. Deterministic and probabilistic crack growth models are used to assess the differences. The results are based on the box-girder component strain history data of the Runyang Cable-stayed Bridge (RYCB) in China, stress history recorded by structural health monitoring system (SHMS) is analyzed using the monitored stress amplitude, mean stress and stress ratio. Finite element calculations are used to supplement data at locations not accessible for measurements. Additional improvement with reference to damage accumulation and the physical meaning of the reliability index will be studies in relation to the fatigue damage of box-girder of long cable-stayed bridges.     

离散变量框架结构的可靠性优化

以框架结构系统的可靠性分析为基础,给出离散变量框架结构可靠性优化的相对差商方法及迭代格式,并用算例证明了该法的有效性及实用性。     

有理多项式技术有工程结构可靠度分析中的应用

给出了在相关空间中改进JC方法计算结构可靠指标的迭代格式,并采用有理多项式技术计算功能函数的偏导数,以模拟实际工程中常见的功能函数不能明确的可靠度计算问题。因此,功能函数无论是线性或非线性,显式或隐式,该方法都简单且适用。数值结果表明本文方法具有较好的效率和精度。     

Structural reliability analysis for implicit performance function using radial basis function network

This is the second paper of our work on structural reliability analysis for implicit performance function. The first paper proposed structural reliability analysis methods using multilayer perceptron artificial neural network [Deng, J., Gu, D.S., Li, X.B., Yue, Z.Q., 2005. Structural reliability analysis for implicit performance function using artificial neural network. Structural Safety 25 (1), 25–48]. This paper presents three radial basis function network (RBF) based reliability analysis methods, i.e. RBF based MCS, RBF based FORM, and RBF based SORM. In these methods, radial basis function network technique is adopted to model and approximate the implicit performance functions or partial derivatives. The RBF technique uses a small set of the actual data of the implicit performance functions, which are obtained via physical experiments or normal numerical analysis such as finite element methods for the complicated structural system, and are used to develop a trained RBF generalization algorithm. Then a large number of the function values and partial derivatives of implicit performance functions can be readily obtained by simply extracting information from the established and successfully trained RBF network. These function values and derivatives are used in conventional MCS, FORM or SORM to constitute RBF based reliability analysis algorithms. Examples are presented in the paper to illustrate how the proposed RBF based methods are used in structural reliability analysis. The results are well compared with those obtained by the conventional reliability methods such as the Monte-Carlo simulation, multilayer perceptrons networks, the response surface method, the FORM method 2, and so on. The examples showed the proposed approach is applicable to structural reliability analysis involving implicit performance functions.     

Joint Flexibility Effects on Rectangular Hollow Section Vierendeel Trusses

ABSTRACT

An elastic-strain hardening material characteristic is used with the finite element method to model the behavior of Vierendeel trusses that consist of flexible branch-to-chord connections. Both chord and branch members are presumed to be rectangular hollow sections (RHS) of unequal width. Analyses have been undertaken on truss configurations consisting of either single member or double member chords placed back-to-back. Joint characteristics obtained from an earlier study are used to model the effects of flexible connections on truss load capacity and stiffness. The findings indicate that it is important to strive for high branch end moment and stiffness properties to achieve satisfactory structural performance of a girder. Punching shear effects are much less important. It is also shown that double chord trusses outperform their single chord equivalents, unless stiffening plates are employed to help achieve comparable end moments of branch members.