SUMMARYThis paper presents the results of model calibration conducted on a historical mosque called Hafsa Sultan in Manisa, Turkey. The finite element model of the mosque was calibrated by the use of the results obtained from ambient vibration tests of the structure. In order to develop a solid model of the structure, the dimensions of the structure, defects such as cracks and material degradations in the structure, and the materials used in different parts were identified. For the evaluation of the material properties of the structure, nondestructive and destructive testing methods were used. The numerical and experimental modal parameters of the structure were obtained by finite element method (FEM) and Operational Modal Analysis (OMA), respectively. The natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes were obtained from both FEM and OMA and compared with each other. While a good compatibility was achieved between mode shapes, some differences between natural frequencies occurred. It was thought that the differences resulted from variations in the Young's modulus of masonry, cracks in elements or boundary conditions. Therefore, the finite element model was calibrated by changing material parameters. Finally, a more realistic numerical model of the mosque was put forward and the results were discussed in detail.
The optimization of cut and fill volumes of a highway infrastructure is crucial for minimizing the total earthwork cost. Borrow material swells after excavation and shrinks when mechanical compaction is applied; in this respect, it may be misleading to calculate cut-fill volumes directly without considering the amount of swelling and/or shrinkage. On the other hand, determination of such factors characterizing shrinkage/swelling behavior is highly ambiguous. The aim of this paper is to present the applicability of a fuzzy rule-based system for choosing swelling/shrinkage factors affecting the precision of earthwork optimization. This approach may assist in any highway alignment procedure to handle cut and fill volumes more accurately.
The principal objective in this study is to investigate the special behaviors of linear vibrating plates with special parameters near degenerate modes. Near degenerate modes, plates may lack geometric stability because they exhibit a qualitatively different behavior under an arbitrarily small change in special parameters. The special parameters considered in this study are the location and quantity of an additional mass, which have an effect on removing the system symmetry. To this end, analyses are carried out for three plate systems with each having different boundary conditions. The effect of the location and the quantity of additional mass on degenerate modes are significantly different from those of other mode types. Clearly, these effects are of theoretical importance and should be taken into consideration in practical applications. With the view of the deterministic approach, it can be stated that the study determines some unspecified parts of forced vibration behaviors of mass loaded plates.
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