Performance of Numerical Integrators in Thermomechanical Hybrid Simulation

Abstract eng:
Mechanics of structural behavior in fire and fire-resistant design of structures are based on data from standard fire tests of single structural components. Experimental qualification of structures in fire must account for interactions between elements within the overall structural assembly in order to provide benchmark tests to verify and validate modeling tools and design provisions, particularly those aiming to implement modern performance-based evaluation approaches and design standards. This is the motivation to extend the hybrid simulation method, which has been deeply investigated in the seismic domain, to structures-in-fire testing. By linking numerical and physical substructures, hybrid simulation offers a flexible, cost-effective approach. However, the implementation of thermomechanical hybrid simulation (TMHS) tests must be carefully designed to properly account for rate-dependent creep effects that become significant at high temperatures. Purely mechanical hybrid simulations are commonly performed at extended time scales. Such an approach is not appropriate in the presence of creep and other loading rate effects: instead, thermomechanical simulation should, ideally, be conducted in real time. However, real-time testing is not always possible due to constraints of the laboratory equipment. In such cases, the testing time scale must be accurately tuned to minimize experimental approximation. The optimal selection of the time integration scale and the numerical integration scheme in TMHS are presented herein. Furthermore, the thermalTruss experimental element implemented in the OpenFresco hybrid simulation middleware is presented, which provides the ability to fully simulate a TMHS test prior to experimentally substructuring the physical specimen in the laboratory.

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