Nonlinear anisotropic finite element analysis of liquefiable tunnel–sand–pile interaction under seismic excitation

Nonlinear time‐history analysis can be used to determine the liquefiable behaviors of the tunnel-sand-pile interaction(TSPI)model with the consideration of sand anisotropy.This study presents the nonlinear response of the TSPI model with the existence of liquefaction under seismic excitation.The analysis reveals that tunnel and pile behave as isotropic elements,while sand shows isotropic,orthotropic,and anisotropic characteristics.Three constitutive models including UBC3D‐PLM(two yield surfaces associated with the hardening rule),NGI‐ADP(yielding with associated plastic potential function),and a user‐specified constitutive model are adopted to evaluate the isotropic,orthotropic,and anisotropic behaviors of sand.On this basis,two finite element‐based codes(ETABS 18.1.1 and Plaxis 3D)are used to evaluate sand behaviors and responses.Responses of the tunnel,sand,pile,and excess pore pressure ratio are recorded in the interaction zone by varying the pile diameter,tunnel diameter,and tunnel-pile clearance.Compared with the orthotropic and isotropic conditions,lower variations of results are found in the anisotropic condition,except for the case of generation of excess pore pressure.In addition,the present reanalysis results are in agreement with previous analytical and case study results,which further indicates the effectiveness of the finite element‐based numerical codes.

Numerical Exploration of Asymmetrical Impact Dynamics: Unveiling Nonlinearities in Collision Problems and Resilience of Reinforced Concrete Structures

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of collision and impact problems’ numerical solutions, focusing ongeometric, contact, and material nonlinearities, all essential in solving large deformation problems during a collision.The initial discussion revolves around the stress and strain of large deformation during a collision, followedby explanations of the fundamental finite element solution method for addressing such issues. The hourglassmode’s control methods, such as single-point reduced integration and contact-collision algorithms are detailedand implemented within the finite element framework. The paper further investigates the dynamic responseand failure modes of Reinforced Concrete (RC) members under asymmetrical impact using a 3D discrete modelin ABAQUS that treats steel bars and concrete connections as bond slips. The model’s validity was confirmedthrough comparisons with the node-sharing algorithm and system energy relations. Experimental parameterswere varied, including the rigid hammer’s mass and initial velocity, concrete strength, and longitudinal and stirrupreinforcement ratios. Findings indicated that increased hammer mass and velocity escalated RC member damage,while increased reinforcement ratios improved impact resistance. Contrarily, increased concrete strength did notsignificantly reduce lateral displacement when considering strain rate effects. The study also explores materialnonlinearity, examining different materials’ responses to collision-induced forces and stresses, demonstratedthrough an elastic rod impact case study. The paper proposes a damage criterion based on the residual axialload-bearing capacity for assessing damage under the asymmetrical impact, showing a correlation betweendamage degree hammer mass and initial velocity. The results, validated through comparison with theoreticaland analytical solutions, verify the ABAQUS program’s accuracy and reliability in analyzing impact problems,offering valuable insights into collision and impact problems’ nonlinearities and practical strategies for enhancingRC structures’ resilience under dynamic stress.

Modified filter for mean elements estimation with state jumping

To investigate the real-time mean orbital elements(MOEs)estimation problem under the influence of state jumping caused by non-fatal spacecraft collision or protective orbit trans-fer,a modified augmented square-root unscented Kalman filter(MASUKF)is proposed.The MASUKF is composed of sigma points calculation,time update,modified state jumping detec-tion,and measurement update.Compared with the filters used in the existing literature on MOEs estimation,it has three main characteristics.Firstly,the state vector is augmented from six to nine by the added thrust acceleration terms,which makes the fil-ter additionally give the state-jumping-thrust-acceleration esti-mation.Secondly,the normalized innovation is used for state jumping detection to set detection threshold concisely and make the filter detect various state jumping with low latency.Thirdly,when sate jumping is detected,the covariance matrix inflation will be done,and then an extra time update process will be con-ducted at this time instance before measurement update.In this way,the relatively large estimation error at the detection moment can significantly decrease.Finally,typical simulations are per-formed to illustrated the effectiveness of the method.

ALE FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF NONLINEAR SLOSHING PROBLEMS BASED ON F LUID VELOCITY POTENTIAL

Base d on fluid velocity potential, an ALE finite element formulation for the analysi s of nonlinear sloshing problems has been developed. The ALE kinemat ical description is introduced to move the computational mesh independently of f luid motion, and the container fixed noninertial coordinate system is employed to establish the governing equations so that the mesh is needed to be updated in this coordinate system only. This leads to a very simple mesh moving algorithm which makes it easy to trace the motion of the moving boundaries and the free su rface without producing undesirable distortion of the computational mesh. The fi nite element method and finite difference method are used spacewise and timewise , respectively. A numerical example involving either forced horizontal oscillati on or forced pitching oscillation of the fluid filled container is presented to illustrate the effectiveness and the robustness of the method. In additi on, this work can be extended for the fluid structure interaction problems.

Self-adaptive one-dimensional nonlinear finite element method based on element energy projection method

The element energy projection （EEP） method for computation of super- convergent resulting in a one-dimensional finite element method （FEM） is successfully used to self-adaptive FEM analysis of various linear problems, based on which this paper presents a substantial extension of the whole set of technology to nonlinear problems. The main idea behind the technology transfer from linear analysis to nonlinear analysis is to use Newton＇s method to linearize nonlinear problems into a series of linear problems so that the EEP formulation and the corresponding adaptive strategy can be directly used without the need for specific super-convergence formulation for nonlinear FEM. As a re- sult, a unified and general self-adaptive algorithm for nonlinear FEM analysis is formed. The proposed algorithm is found to be able to produce satisfactory finite element results with accuracy satisfying the user-preset error tolerances by maximum norm anywhere on the mesh. Taking the nonlinear ordinary differential equation （ODE） of second-order as the model problem, this paper describes the related fundamental idea, the imple- mentation strategy, and the computational algorithm. Representative numerical exam- ples are given to show the efficiency, stability, versatility, and reliability of the proposed approach.

Static and Dynamic Analysis of Mooring Lines by Nonlinear Finite Element Method

This study has focused on developing numerical procedures for the static and dynamic nonlinear analysis of mooring lines. A geometrically nonlinear finite element method using isoparametric cable element with two nodes is briefly presented on the basis of the total Lagrangian formulation. The static and dynamic equilibrium equations of mooring lines are established. An incremental-iterative method is used to determine the initial static equilibrium state of cable systems under the action of self weights, buoyancy and current. Also the Newmark method is used for dynamic nonlinear analysis of ocean cables. Numerical examples are presented to validate the present numerical method, and examine the effect of various parameters.

Nonlinear Bend Stiffener Analysis Using A Simple Formulation and Finite Element Method

Flexible marine risers are commonly used in deepwater floating systems. Bend stiffeners are designed to protect flexible risel against excessive bending at the connection with the hull. The structure is usually analyzed as a cantilever beam subjected to an inclined point load. As deflections are large and the bend stiffener material exhibits nonlinear stress-strain characteristics, geometric and material nonlinearities are important considerations. A new approach has been developed to solve this nonlinear problem. Its main advantage is its simplicity; in fact the present method can be easily implemented on a spreadsheet. Finite element analysis using ABAQUS is performed to validate the method. Solid elements are used for the bend stiffener and flexible pipe. To simulate the near inextensibility of flexible risers, a simple and original idea of using truss elements is proposed. Through a set of validation studies the present method is found to be in a good agreement with the finite element analysis. Further, parametric studies are performed by using both methods to identify the key parameters and phenomena that are most critical in design. The most important finding is that the common practice of neglecting the internal steel sleeve in the bend stiffener analysis is non-conservative and therefore needs to be reassessed.

GEOMETRICALLY NONLINEAR FINITE ELEMENT MODEL OF SPATIAL THIN-WALLED BEAMS WITH GENERAL OPEN CROSS SECTION

Based on the theory of Timoshenko and thin-walled beams, a new finite element model of spatial thin-walled beams with general open cross sections is presented in the paper, in which several factors are included such as lateral shear deformation, warp generated by nonuni- form torsion and second-order shear stress, coupling of flexure and torsion, and large displacement with small strain. With an additional internal node in the element, the element stiffness matrix is deduced by incremental virtual work in updated Lagrangian （UL） formulation. Numerical examples demonstrate that the presented model well describes the geometrically nonlinear property of spatial thin-walled beams.

Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis of Ocean Cables

This study has focused on developing numerical procedures for the dynamic nonlinear analysis of cable structures subjected to wave forces and ground motions in the ocean. A geometrically nonlinear finite element procedure using the isoparametric curved cable element based on the Lagrangian formulation is briefly summarized. A simple and accurate method to determine the initial equilibrium state of cable systems associated with self-weights, buoyancy and the motion of end points is presented using the load incremental method combined with penalty method. Also the Newmark method is used for dynamic nonlinear analysis of ocean cables. Numerical examples are presented to validate the present numerical method.

Three-Dimensional Boundary Element Method Applied to Nonlinear Wave Transformation

For higher accuracy in simulating the transformation of three dimensional waves, in consideration of the advantages of constant panels and linear elements, a combined boundary elements is applied in this research. The method can be used to remove the transverse vibration due to the accumulation of computational errors. A combined boundary condition of sponge layer and Sommerfeld radiation condition is used to remove the reflected waves from the computing domain. By following the water particle on the water surface, the third order Stokes wave transform is simulated by the numerical wave flume technique. The computed results are in good agreement with theoretical ones.

A lumped mass nonconforming finite element method for nonlinear parabolic integro-differential equations on anisotropic meshes

A lumped mass approximation scheme of a low order Crouzeix-Raviart type noncon- forming triangular finite element is proposed to a kind of nonlinear parabolic integro-differential equations. The L2 error estimate is derived on anisotropic meshes without referring to the traditional nonclassical elliptic projection.

Application of 1D/3D finite elements coupling for structural nonlinear analysis

An element coupling model (ECM) method was proposed to simulate the global behavior and local damage of a structure.In order to reflect the local damage and improve the computational efficiency,three-dimensional (3D) solid elements and one-dimensional (1D) beam element were coupled by the multi-point constraint equations.A reduced scale 1?8 model test was simulated by the ECM and a full three dimensional model (3DM) contrastively.The results show that the global behavior and local damages of ECM agree well with the test and 3DM.It is indicated that the proposed method can be used in the structural nonlinear analysis accurately and efficiently.

Analysis of the electromechanical behavior of ferroelectric ceramics based on a nonlinear finite element model

A nonlinear finite element （FE） model based on domain switching was proposed to study the electromechanical behavior of ferroelectric ceramics. The incremental FE formulation was improved to avoid any calculation instability. The problems of mesh sensitivity and convergence, and the efficiency of the proposed nonlinear FE technique have been assessed to illustrate the versatility and potential accuracy of the said technique. The nonlinear electromechanical behavior, such as the hysteresis loops and butterfly curves, of ferroelectric ceramics subjected to both a uniform electric field and a point electric potential has been studied numerically. The results obtained are in good agreement with those of the corresponding theoretical and experimental analyses. Furthermore, the electromechanical coupling fields near （a） the boundary of a circular hole, （b） the boundary of an elliptic hole and （c） the tip of a crack, have been analyzed using the proposed nonlinear finite element method （FEM）. The proposed nonlinear electromechanically coupled FEM is useful for the analysis of domain switching, deformation and fracture of ferroelectric ceramics.

Geometric nonlinear dynamic analysis of curved beams using curved beam element

Instead of using the previous straight beam element to approximate the curved beam,in this paper,a curvilinear coordinate is employed to describe the deformations,and a new curved beam element is proposed to model the curved beam.Based on exact nonlinear strain-displacement relation,virtual work principle is used to derive dynamic equations for a rotating curved beam,with the effects of axial extensibility,shear deformation and rotary inertia taken into account.The constant matrices are solved numerically utilizing the Gauss quadrature integration method.Newmark and Newton-Raphson iteration methods are adopted to solve the differential equations of the rigid-flexible coupling system.The present results are compared with those obtained by commercial programs to validate the present finite method.In order to further illustrate the convergence and efficiency characteristics of the present modeling and computation formulation,comparison of the results of the present formulation with those of the ADAMS software are made.Furthermore,the present results obtained from linear formulation are compared with those from nonlinear formulation,and the special dynamic characteristics of the curved beam are concluded by comparison with those of the straight beam.

A PRIORI L_2 ERROR ESTIMATES FOR A NONLINEAR PARABOLIC SYSTEM BASED ON COMBINING THE METHOD OF CHARACTERISTICS WITH MIXED FINITE ELEMENT PROCEDURE

A nonlinear parabolic system is derived to describe incompressible nuclear waste-disposal contamination in porous media. A sequential implicit tirne-stepping is defined, in which the pressure and Darcy velocity of the mixture are approximated simultaneously by a mixed finite element method and the brine, radionuclid and heat are treated by a combination of a Galerkin finite element method and the method of characteristics. Optimal-order convergence in L2 is proved. Time-truncation errors of standard procedures are reduced by time stepping along the characteristics of the hyperbolic part of the brine, radionuclide and heal equalios, temporal and spatial error are lossened by direct compulation of the velocity in the mixed method, as opposed to differentiation of the pressure.

Finite Element Analysis to Two-Dimensional Nonlinear Sloshing Problems

A two-dimensional nonlinear sloshing problem is analyzed by means of the fully nonlinear theory and time domain second order theory of water waves. Liquid sloshing in a rectangular container Subjected to a horizontal excitation is simulated by the finite element method. Comparisons between the two theories are made based on their numerical results. It is found that good agreement is obtained for the case of small amplitude oscillation and obvious differences occur for large amplitude excitation. Even though, the second order solution can still exhibit typical nonlinear features of nonlinear wave and can be used instead of the fully nonlinear theory.

ANALYSES ON NONLINEAR COUPLING OF MAGNETO-THERMO-ELASTICITY OF FERROMAGNETIC THIN SHELL—II:FINITE ELEMENT MODELING AND APPLICATION

Based on the generalized vaxiational principle of magneto-thermo-elasticity of a ferromagnetic thin shell established （see, Analyses on nonlinear coupling of magneto-thermo- elasticity of ferromagnetic thin shell--I）, the present paper developed a finite element modeling for the mechanical-magneto-thermal multi-field coupling of a ferromagnetic thin shell. The numerical modeling composes of finite element equations for three sub-systems of magnetic, thermal and deformation fields, as well as iterative methods for nonlinearities of the geometrical large-deflection and the multi-field coupling of the ferromagnetic shell. As examples, the numerical simulations on magneto-elastic behaviors of a ferromagnetic cylindrical shell in an applied magnetic field, and magneto-thermo-elastic behaviors of the shell in applied magnetic and thermal fields are carried out. The results are in good agreement with the experimental ones.

Assessment of natural frequency of installed offshore wind turbines using nonlinear finite element model considering soil-monopile interaction

A nonlinear finite element model is developed to examine the lateral behaviors of monopiles, which support offshore wind turbines(OWTs) chosen from five different offshore wind farms in Europe. The simulation is using this model to accurately estimate the natural frequency of these slender structures, as a function of the interaction of the foundations with the subsoil. After a brief introduction to the wind power energy as a reliable alternative in comparison to fossil fuel, the paper focuses on concept of natural frequency as a primary indicator in designing the foundations of OWTs. Then the range of natural frequencies is provided for a safe design purpose. Next, an analytical expression of an OWT natural frequency is presented as a function of soil-monopile interaction through monopile head springs characterized by lateral stiffness KL, rotational stiffness KRand cross-coupling stiffness KLRof which the differences are discussed. The nonlinear pseudo three-dimensional finite element vertical slices model has been used to analyze the lateral behaviors of monopiles supporting the OWTs of different wind farm sites considered. Through the monopiles head movements(displacements and rotations), the values of KL, KRand KLRwere obtained and substituted in the analytical expression of natural frequency for comparison. The comparison results between computed and measured natural frequencies showed an excellent agreement for most cases. This confirms the convenience of the finite element model used for the accurate estimation of the monopile head stiffness.

Nonlinear finite-element-based structural system failure probability analysis methodology for gravity dams considering correlated failure modes

The structural system failure probability(SFP) is a valuable tool for evaluating the global safety level of concrete gravity dams.Traditional methods for estimating the failure probabilities are based on defined mathematical descriptions,namely,limit state functions of failure modes.Several problems are to be solved in the use of traditional methods for gravity dams.One is how to define the limit state function really reflecting the mechanical mechanism of the failure mode;another is how to understand the relationship among failure modes and enable the probability of the whole structure to be determined.Performing SFP analysis for a gravity dam system is a challenging task.This work proposes a novel nonlinear finite-element-based SFP analysis method for gravity dams.Firstly,reasonable nonlinear constitutive modes for dam concrete,concrete/rock interface and rock foundation are respectively introduced according to corresponding mechanical mechanisms.Meanwhile the response surface(RS) method is used to model limit state functions of main failure modes through the Monte Carlo(MC) simulation results of the dam-interface-foundation interaction finite element(FE) analysis.Secondly,a numerical SFP method is studied to compute the probabilities of several failure modes efficiently by simple matrix integration operations.Then,the nonlinear FE-based SFP analysis methodology for gravity dams considering correlated failure modes with the additional sensitivity analysis is proposed.Finally,a comprehensive computational platform for interfacing the proposed method with the open source FE code Code Aster is developed via a freely available MATLAB software tool(FERUM).This methodology is demonstrated by a case study of an existing gravity dam analysis,in which the dominant failure modes are identified,and the corresponding performance functions are established.Then,the dam failure probability of the structural system is obtained by the proposed method considering the correlation relationship of main failure modes on the basis of the mechanical mechanism analysis with the MC-FE simulations.

Development and Application of a High-Performance Triangular Shell Element and an Explicit Algorithm in OpenSees for Strongly Nonlinear Analysis

The open-source finite element software,OpenSees,is widely used in the earthquake engineering community.However,the shell elements and explicit algorithm in OpenSees still require further improvements.Therefore,in this work,a triangular shell element,NLDKGT,and an explicit algorithm are proposed and implemented in OpenSees.Specifically,based on the generalized conforming theory and the updated Lagrangian formulation,the proposed NLDKGT element is suitable for problems with complicated boundary conditions and strong nonlinearity.The accuracy and reliability of the NLDKGT element are validated through typical cases.Furthermore,by adopting the leapfrog integration method,an explicit algorithm in OpenSees and a modal damping model are developed.Finally,the stability and efficiency of the proposed shell element and explicit algorithm are validated through the nonlinear time-history analysis of a highrise building.