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The purpose of this paper is to present the identification method of restriction parameter and deformation parameter for membrane‐type restrictors.

A worktable mounting on the open‐type hydrostatic bearing is utilized to calibrate recess pressures for regulating outlet pressures of restrictors by changing the load and then both restrictor parameters can be identified from the measurements of the inlet pressure, the outlet pressure, and the flow rate of a restrictor by minimizing the difference between measured and identified flow rates. Furthermore, the influences of supply pressure and restrictor designs on both parameters are also studied.

An identification method for single‐action membrane‐type (SAM) restrictors is obtained directly from experimental results. The measurements of inlet pressure, outlet pressure, and flow rate of the restrictor are substituted into the combined equations for minimization of error between measured and identified flow rates to be solved for restriction and deformation parameters. The identified results show that both parameters can be described by polynomial functions of supply pressure. Both polynomials are regressed by curve fitting from identified results.

The paper shows how to calibrate inlet and outlet pressures of restrictors for designing a hydrostatic bearing system by changing supply pressure and load applied on worktable for the measurements of both pressure and the flow rate of restrictor.

Evaluate the performance of progressive collapse of full-scale three-dimensional structure (3D) beam-slab substructures with and without the presence of reinforced concrete (RC) balconies using two concrete mixes [normal concrete (NC) and rubberized concrete (RuC)].

This study examines two concrete mixes to evaluate the progressive collapse performance of full-scale 3D beam-slab substructures with and without the presence of RC balconies using the finite element (FE) method.

The results showed that the vertical loads that affect the structures of the specimens after including the balconies in the modeling increased by an average of 29.3% compared with those of the specimens without balconies. The specimens with balconies exhibited higher resistance to progressive collapse in comparison with the specimens without balconies. Moreover, the RuC specimens performed very efficiently during the catenary stage, which significantly enhanced robustness to substantial deformation to delay or mitigate the progressive collapse risk.

All the experimental and numerical studies of the RC beam-slab substructures under progressive collapse scenarios are limited and do not consider the balcony’s presence in the building. Although balconies represent a common feature of multistory residential buildings, their presence in the building has more likely caused the failure of this building compared with a building without balconies. However, balconies are an external extension of RC slabs, which can provide extra resistance through tensile membrane action (TMA) or compressive membrane action (CMA). All those gaps have not been investigated yet.

The constitutive relationship of a four‐node flat shell finite element with six degrees of freedom per node and a modified five‐point quadrature, previously presented by the authors, is extended to include symmetric and unsymmetric orthotropy. Through manipulation of the kinematic assumptions, provision is made for out‐of‐plane warp. A wide range of membrane and thin to moderately thick plate and shell examples are used to demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the resulting element.

This paper aims to develop a new multi-fiber element for predicting the structural behavior of planar-reinforced concrete (RC) members.

In this work, an exact multi-directional stiffness matrix is analytically derived based on the post-cracking bond-slip interaction between concrete and steel bars. The approach is also extended for large displacement analysis using Green–Lagrange finite strain tensor. In the proposed formulation, the weak form of governed differential equations is approximated by a trial-function expansion based on a finite strain-description and an additional degree of freedom for steel bars.

The findings provide a realistic description of cracking in the concrete structure. Numerical studies are conducted to examine the accuracy of the suggested approach and its capability to predict fairly complex responses of RC models. The findings prove that the proposed element can evaluate local and global responses of RC members, and it can be used as a reliable tool to reflect bond-slip effects in large displacement level. This leads to a robust and precise model for non-linear analysis of RC structures.

The methodology is capable of simulating coupled inelastic shear-flexural behavior of RC members through local stress field theory and Timoshenko beam model.

This paper aims to study the static characteristics of the hydrostatic conical journal bearings by utilizing single-action membrane restrictors to compensate the working pressures of recesses.

The flow resistance network method is used to analyze the influences of load capacity and static stiffness of bearing with the design parameters, including the number of recesses, radial eccentricity ratio, axial displacement ratio, restriction constant, membrane compliance, length-diameter ratio, circumferential land width ratio, axial land width ratio and half of cone angle.

This study shows the infinite stiffness of the oil produced in the first and second recesses while single-action membrane restriction constant of 2 and 3, respectively, as well as in the fourth recess while single-action membrane restriction constant of 0.01 and 0.1, respectively.

This article provides the hydrostatic conical bearings in static and unbiased states for analyses of design parameters. The analyses ignore dynamic pressure effect and do not use the Reynolds equation, and assuming that each oil recesses pressure is constant.

The influences of the design parameters including the number of recesses, membrane restriction, membrane compliance, length-diameter ratio, half of con-angle, circumferential land width ratio, and axial land width ratio are discussed to the load capacity and static stiffness of conical bearing.

Based on the characteristics of the conical bearing through analysis, this article suggests the front bearing with hard membrane restrictor (capillary) and the back bearing with soft membrane restrictor are the most appropriate for axial stiffness.

Shell structures are highly efficient and are an elegant way of covering large uninterrupted spaces, but their complex geometry is notoriously difficult to model and analyse. This paper aims to describe a novel free-form shell modelling technique based on structural harmonics.

The method builds on work using weighted eigenmodes for three-dimensional mesh modelling in a computer graphics setting and extends it by specifically adapting the technique to an architectural design context. This not only enables the sculpting of free-form architectural surfaces using only a few control parameters but also takes advantage of the synergies between eigenmodes and structural buckling modes, to provide an efficient means of stiffening a shell against failure by buckling.

The result is a flexible free-form modelling tool that not only enables the creation of arbitrary doubly curved surfaces but also allows simultan. The tool helps to assist in the design of shells at the conceptual stage and encourages an interaction between the architect and engineer. A number of initiatives, including a single degree of freedom design, boundary constraints, visualisation aids and guidelines towards specific spatial configurations have been introduced to satisfactorily adapt the method to an architectural context.

The tool helps to assist in the design of shells at the conceptual stage and encourages an interaction between the architect and engineer. A number of initiatives, including a single degree of freedom design, boundary constraints, visualisation aids and guidelines towards specific spatial configurations have been introduced to satisfactorily adapt the method to an architectural context. This paper includes a full case study of the iconic British Museum Great Court Roof to demonstrate the applicability of the developed framework to real-world problems and the software developed to implement the method is available as an open-source download.

This paper presents a comparison, based on real practical case studies, between the simple analytical BRE-Bailey method (BRE-BM) and the advanced finite element model (FEM) Vulcan for the membrane action of composite slab panels with unprotected secondary beams at elevated temperatures. Both approaches predicted the membrane behaviour of the composite slabs, comprising compressive membrane action around the slabs' perimeter and tensile membrane action in the central span region of the slabs. This paper mainly studies the effects of the orientation of unprotected secondary beams and the boundary conditions on tensile membrane action of composite slab panels. The results show that the application of the BRE-BM is generally restricted by the conservative assumption of the maximum allowable vertical displacement. In contrast, the FEM estimates higher load-carrying capacities as well as providing a full displacement-time relationship throughout the heating of the slabs. For slab panels with unprotected secondary beams with an orientation in the short span, tensile membrane action can be easily mobilised without increasing fire protection to the boundary supporting beams. However, the FEM predictions on the slab capacities and deflections in fire are very sensitive to the continuity of the reinforcement over the protected boundary beams.

This article is the fourth part of a serial studies about constant and variable compensations of the closed-type hydrostatic plane-pad bearing, which is presented for the double-action membrane-type restrictor and self-type compensation. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The load capacity and static stiffness in thrust direction of the planar bearing is determined by the flow continuity equation which belongs to the same approaches as shown in previous parts of this serial studies.

The results reveal that the appropriate range of recess pressure ratio and design parameters of bearing and restrictor for the infinite or maximum stiffness can be obtained. Also, the influence of design parameters on negative stiffness that should be avoided in bearing design is revealed in detail.

The determination of design parameters of a double-action membrane-type restrictor can be yielded from finding results of this study for maximum stiffness in design of hydrostatic bearings.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the static stiffness of hydrostatic bearings with three constant compensations in types of constant‐flow pump, capillary and orifice, and both single‐action and double‐action variable restrictors with cylindrical‐spool, tapered‐spool, and membrane types by film gradient and recess pressure.

This paper utilizes the equations of flow equilibrium to determine the variations of film thickness or displacement of loading table with respect to the varying of recess pressure. For a hydrostatic bearing whose recess pressures are controlled by compensations, the stiffness characteristics can be presented directly by these variations.

The usage range of recess pressure and compensation parameters should be selected to correspond to a variation with smallest gradient.

This paper proposes an extensive database as a critical requirement for the selection of types and parameters of the compensation as to yield the acceptable or optimized characteristics in design of hydrostatic bearings.

This study aims to utilize the equations of flow equilibrium to determine the variations of film thickness or worktable displacement with respect to the recess pressure for both open‐ and closed‐type hydrostatic flat bearings. The static stiffness can be not only presented directly by these variations but also determined by the differentiation of flow equilibrium equations.

The single‐action variable compensations of three types including cylindrical‐spool, conical‐spool and membrane restrictors are taken into consideration in this study. Specifically, this study presents that membrane restrictor and both spool restrictors with or without preload whilst considering initial opening.

Consequently, the usage range of recess pressure and optimal parameters of appropriate compensation type can be obtained from maximum stiffness and also according to smallest gradient in variations of worktable displacement or film thickness.

This article studies the influences of single‐action variable compensations for its design varieties. The determination of stiffness comes from the differentiating recess pressure with respect to worktable displacement. The large and small positive stiffness correspond to a negative slope in steep and plain gradient, respectively; the negative stiffness and infinite stiffness are obtained by positive gradient and zero gradient, respectively, in the variations of film thickness. The finding results can be expressed further in the relationship between the static stiffness and the static load.