Thin-Walled Structures最新文献

{"title":"Topology optimization of multi-material structures exhibiting distinct tensile and compressive moduli","authors":"Jiyan Huang ,&nbsp;Xiaolei Yan ,&nbsp;Dengfeng Huang ,&nbsp;Hui Wang ,&nbsp;Haiyan Hua ,&nbsp;Xiaodong Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114727","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114727","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Composite structures possess lightweight and multifunctional characteristics, and are extensively utilized in engineering applications. However, the associated design and manufacturing technologies remain under development, particularly concerning the topology design of multi-material structures exhibiting distinct tensile and compressive material properties. This paper develops a multi-material topology optimization framework for addressing the rational allocation of multiple materials involving distinct tensile and compressive moduli. To address the challenges posed by the discontinuity between tensile and compressive moduli, a smooth constitutive model for materials with distinct moduli is introduced. By introducing multi-material design variables for each element, a linear multi-material interpolation scheme is proposed. Subsequently, an updating scheme for these multi-material variables is constructed based on optimality criteria (OC). The multi-material topology layouts with clear and smooth interfaces are achieved through the application of multiple floating projection constraints that gradually push the design variables towards values of 0 or 1. Finally, 2D and 3D numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the capability and effectiveness and advantages of the proposed topology optimization algorithm in exploiting material potentials and enhancing structural performances.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49435,"journal":{"name":"Thin-Walled Structures","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 114727"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shear resistance of continuous steel beams with thin webs","authors":"Gábor Hajdú ,&nbsp;Hartmut Pasternak","doi":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114731","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114731","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The shear buckling and post-buckling behaviour of welded plated I girders with slender webs plays a critical role in the safety and economy of steel bridge and building structures. However, experimental data and validated numerical models for multi-span girders with slender webs remain limited, and the accuracy of current design provisions is not yet fully established. This paper presents the results of an experimental and numerical investigation on ten two-span welded plated I girders with transversely stiffened webs. By placing transverse stiffeners on both sides, the web panels were divided into four or eight rectangular segments with an aspect ratio of <em>a/h</em>=2.5. The web slenderness ratios <em>h/t</em> ranged from 175 to 350, while the flange slenderness ratios <em>b/t</em> varied between 8 and 40. The specimens exhibited shear failure governed by tension-field action near the internal support or flange buckling in the middle of the span. To further examine the shear buckling behaviour, geometrically and materially nonlinear analyses with imperfections were performed using advanced full-shell finite element models. The validated numerical models were then employed in a comprehensive parametric study covering a wide range of geometric configurations. The numerical results were used to assess the accuracy of the shear strength formula specified in EN 1993-1-5:2024 and AISC 360-22. Based on the results of the numerical simulations new formulas are proposed for the contribution of the web and flanges to determine the shear strength of plated I girders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49435,"journal":{"name":"Thin-Walled Structures","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 114731"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine learning for predicting and optimizing energy absorption characteristics of hollow variable cross-section lattice metamaterials","authors":"Sicong Zhou ,&nbsp;Hua Liu ,&nbsp;Delin Yang ,&nbsp;Bo Li ,&nbsp;Wei-Hsin Liao ,&nbsp;Jialing Yang ,&nbsp;Xianfeng Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enhancing the energy absorption performance of mechanical metamaterials while reducing their weight has long been a sought-after topic in the field of impact protection. Lattice structures with hollow struts demonstrate superior energy absorption performance compared to those with solid struts due to the enhancement of the fully plastic bending moment. However, the energy absorption capacity can be further improved by optimizing the geometric configuration to adjust the distribution of the fully plastic bending moment. It is imperative to investigate the design guidelines for the hollow variable cross-section body-centered cubic (HVCB) lattice to enhance its energy absorption. In this work, a new database containing geometric and energy absorption information of 10,000 HVCB lattices was constructed to train the convolutional neural network models which can predict the energy absorption of the HVCB lattices. By combining the convolutional neural network models with the genetic algorithm, an optimization flow can be established to refine the structural configuration of the HVCB lattice, enabling the first systematic exploration of the relationship between complex geometric configurations and nonlinear mechanical properties. The strut shape of the HVCB lattice forms a concave curve when it achieves the highest specific energy absorption (SEA) under limited peak force or mass. However, the energy absorption capacity diminishes significantly when the strut shape of the HVCB lattice resembles a spindle. The energy absorption mechanism of the HVCB lattice with the highest SEA mainly attributes to enhanced compression force and plastic deformation regions. The optimization approach presented in this study efficiently improves the SEA of the HVCB lattice with the highest SEA being up to 2.59 times greater than that of the hollow uniform cross-section BCC lattice with the same mass.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49435,"journal":{"name":"Thin-Walled Structures","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 114650"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ballistic fracture quantification in ceramic-foam laminates by numerical manifold method","authors":"Rui Yue ,&nbsp;Yuansen Gu ,&nbsp;Youjun Ning ,&nbsp;Xuezhen Zhai ,&nbsp;Liuchen Shu ,&nbsp;Ge Kang ,&nbsp;Baoqiao Guo ,&nbsp;Pengwan Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114742","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114742","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ceramic laminated structures are widely used in protective armor systems owing to their outstanding combination of light weight and ballistic resistance. The dynamic fracture mechanisms of ceramic cores under high-velocity impact remain unclear, limiting structural optimization and performance improvement. The numerical manifold method (NMM) is extended with capabilities for multi-crack initiation and evolution, as well as fragment interactions under dynamic loading without predefined paths. A series of ballistic experiments were conducted on 100 mm multiply 100 mm multiply 34 mm alumina ceramic-aluminum foam laminates with ceramic cores of 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm, impacted by 12.7 mm armor-piercing incendiary projectiles at 440 m/s. Configurations 3 and 4 prevented penetration, whereas configurations 1, 2, and 5 were penetrated. The NMM analysis shows good agreement with experiments, predicting residual velocity for penetrated laminates with errors of 2%–12% and back-face deflection for non-penetrated laminates with errors of 6%–16%. Crack evolution, along with crack density and fragment-size distribution, was revealed by the NMM simulations and found consistent with the recovered ceramic cores from experiments. Further PDF analysis reveal that successful protection shows nearly twice the probability density of small-sized fragments compared with penetrated cases. The developed NMM framework offers reliable predictive capability for multi-crack evolution in ceramic laminates under dynamic loading, providing new insights and valuable guidance for armor design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49435,"journal":{"name":"Thin-Walled Structures","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 114742"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Behaviour and design of 6082-T6 aluminium lap joints at ambient temperature and post-fire","authors":"Michaela Gkantou ,&nbsp;Manuela Cabrera ,&nbsp;Marina Bock ,&nbsp;Marios Theofanous","doi":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114686","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114686","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Structural aluminium alloys are commonly heat-treated to enhance their strength for load-bearing applications, but exposure to fire can degrade or completely eliminate these benefits. Even if a component withstands the fire, it may no longer meet design load requirements, making post-fire performance assessment essential. This study presents 16 material coupons tests and 12 experimental tests on 6082-T6 aluminium lap joints exposed to elevated temperatures (200 °C, 300 °C, and 400 °C) prior to testing. Three joint configurations with varying bolt spacing were investigated, resulting in different failure modes: net section fracture, end bearing, and mixed failure. One unheated specimen per configuration served as a benchmark sample. Additionally, tensile tests on flat and flat grooved coupons were conducted to characterise the stress-strain and fracture behaviour after thermal exposure. The findings of the lap joint tests include load-displacement behaviour, as well as evaluations of failure loads and failure modes, and are reported in detail. Subsequently, numerical models were developed and validated against the experimental results. A parametric study was also carried out to investigate the influence of the bolt hole end and edge distance on the joint performance. The experimental and numerical results were used to evaluate the accuracy of existing design standards for predicting the resistance of aluminium alloy connections, including AS/NZS 1664.1, EN 1999-1-1 (Eurocode 9), and the provisions available in the literature. Based on the experimental and numerical data, a modified design equation for the bearing resistance factor is proposed to improve the prediction accuracy, and enable post-fire design that accounts for temperature-induced degradation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49435,"journal":{"name":"Thin-Walled Structures","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 114686"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deep learning coupled finite element method for efficient multiscale damage analysis of 3D braided composites","authors":"Zewen Gao ,&nbsp;Jun Liu ,&nbsp;Guofan Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaohua Nie ,&nbsp;Liang Chang ,&nbsp;Shuang Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In classical multiscale computational methods, high-precision finite element calculations at the mesoscale have emerged as the primary bottleneck restricting overall computational efficiency. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technology, particularly data-driven and machine learning (ML), has provided novel approaches for addressing traditional mechanics problems. A deep learning (DL) enhanced multiscale framework has been developed in this manuscript to study the progressive damage behavior in composites . The mesoscale surrogate model in this framework has been constructed based on deep learning techniques (Convolutional Neural Networks(CNNs), Long Short-Term Memory networks(LSTMs), Attention Mechanism(AM) and Transfer Learning (TL)). CNNs extract spatial features of microstructures, LSTMs capture temporal damage evolution, AM focuses on critical failure stages, and TL enhances generalization to new material configurations. The mesoscale surrogate model can be applied to obtain damage state for updating the material tangent modulus at the macroscale under certain stress and strain state, which can replace mesoscale simulation in composites. To validate the proposed framework, a 3D braided composites structure was subjected to multiscale numerical simulation. It is verified that the predicted strength and progressive damage evolution of the braided composites structure obtained by the proposed method are in good agreement with the experimental results. Meanwhile, the proposed multiscale framework can not only improve computational efficiency but exhibits good consistency in accuracy as well.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49435,"journal":{"name":"Thin-Walled Structures","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 114644"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of flange fabrication process on residual stresses of welded I-section members","authors":"Maxime Lebastard ,&nbsp;Dénes Kollár ,&nbsp;András Horváth ,&nbsp;Alain Bureau ,&nbsp;Maël Couchaux ,&nbsp;Balázs Kövesdi","doi":"10.1016/j.tws.2025.114424","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tws.2025.114424","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present paper investigates the influence of flange fabrication processes, such as plasma-cutting, flame-cutting and hot-rolling on the residual stress distribution in welded I-section members. Therefore, an extensive residual stress measurements programme is conducted on 22 welded I-section members varying flange fabrication methods and cross-sectional dimensions to overcome the lack of available experimental results. In addition, residual stress measurements are carried out on flame- and plasma-cut constituent plates, before welding. The studied welded specimens were composed of S355 structural steel, except for the flanges of two specimens, constituted by S235 steel. The experimental results highlight the substantial effect of the flange fabrication process on the residual stress distribution in welded I-section members. At the flange ends, flame-cutting yields high-magnitude tensile stresses and plasma-cutting generally yields low-magnitude tensile stresses while hot-rolled flanges exhibit high magnitude compressive stresses. The experimental results are further employed to develop novel residual stress models for thermal-cut constituent plates and welded I-sections, incorporating (i) the manufacturing specialties of thermal-cutting and welding and (ii) the thermophysical properties of the base material.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49435,"journal":{"name":"Thin-Walled Structures","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 114424"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Numerical investigation of hydrodynamic and kinematic behaviors of a large-scale thin-walled wind turbine blade during water entry","authors":"Yingying Lin ,&nbsp;Di Wang ,&nbsp;Ningge Fan ,&nbsp;Binyi Liang ,&nbsp;Gong Chen ,&nbsp;Tinh Quoc Bui ,&nbsp;Shunhua Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114661","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114661","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Due to rough sea conditions and the complexity of blade hoisting, large offshore wind turbine blades are at risk of falling into the water during offshore lifting operations. The prediction of the water entry trajectory of a blade helps to guide the positioning and layout of offshore installations, thereby reducing the risk of collisions during water entry. However, the dynamic behaviors of thin-walled wind turbine blades during water entry remain largely unexplored. In light of this, the present work aims to present a comprehensive investigation of hydrodynamic and kinematic behaviors of a large-scale wind turbine blade during water entry via computational fluid dynamics simulations. The overset mesh technique in the context of the finite volume framework is employed to capture the motion of the blade involving large displacements and complex curved boundaries. The accuracy and effectiveness of the numerical methods are validated using a water entry case of a circular cylinder. A trajectory analysis method is presented to comprehensively characterize the horizontal trajectory envelope of the large-scale blade. Afterwards, a parametric study is conducted to numerically investigate the effects of vertical velocity and attitude angle on the calm water entry behaviors of the blade. The present work further investigates the effects of wave and wind loadings on the water entry behaviors of the blade. The results of this study offer important physical insight into the water entry behaviors of large-scale airfoil-shaped structures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49435,"journal":{"name":"Thin-Walled Structures","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 114661"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147386820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Artificial neural network-assisted groove morphology control in laser engraving","authors":"Hongshan Zhou,&nbsp;Zelong Yu,&nbsp;Aoji Du,&nbsp;Ruiyi Fan,&nbsp;Jingyuan Chen,&nbsp;Xu Guo,&nbsp;Zhao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114668","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114668","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Laser engraving/chemical milling is one of the key techniques for achieving structural lightweighting in the manufacturing of thin-walled components in aerospace applications involving the stress relief phenomenon. The consistency of the laser engraving groove morphology directly affects the quality of the subsequent chemical milling process and poses a significant challenge due to the uneven maskant and the complex laser-material interaction during the process. To address this problem, an artificial neural network (ANN)-assisted adaptive laser model is proposed. Based on the laser scanning speed and maskant parameters, the adaptive laser model generates a corresponding power to achieve the precise control of groove morphology during laser engraving. The error between the laser-engraved model and the experimental results is less than 5.99%. The feasibility of the ANN-assisted adaptive laser model is verified, with a prediction error of 5.87% compared to the target values. The correlation coefficient between predicted and experimental data is 0.98997, indicating a strong fitting relationship. The ANN-assisted adaptive laser model significantly improves the consistency of groove morphology in laser engraving.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49435,"journal":{"name":"Thin-Walled Structures","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 114668"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wire arc additively manufactured aluminium alloy open sections: 3D geometric analysis and compressive behaviour","authors":"Jin Li ,&nbsp;Ziyi Wang ,&nbsp;Man-Tai Chen ,&nbsp;Andi Su ,&nbsp;Ou Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114687","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tws.2026.114687","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is sparking extensive research interests in recent years, as the technique offers an efficient pathway fabricating metallic structural components with complex geometries. However, the limited insights into the structural performance of WAAM metallic members hinder their practical application in construction. As part of an ongoing research project on WAAM metallic members, this paper presents an experimental study on the geometric features and cross-section compressive behaviour of WAAM aluminium alloy open section stub columns. Fifteen stub column specimens with angle, channel and π-shaped section profiles were firstly printed using ER5356 aluminium alloy feedstock wires and tested under compression to study their local buckling behaviour. Before testing, the geometric properties and geometric imperfections (including initial local geometric imperfections and cross-section out-of-squareness) of the specimens were inspected using a 3D laser scanner. The measured initial local geometric imperfections and out-of-squareness of each specimen were analysed. The results from stub column tests were subsequently used to assess the applicability of cross-section classifications and predicted resistances from existing design methods (for conventionally fabricated aluminium alloy members), including the European, American and Australian/New Zealand codes, together with the continuous strength method (CSM). The assessment results generally revealed that (i) the three sets of codified slenderness limits provided safe cross-section classification, with more accurate classification offered by the American specification and Australian/New Zealand standard and (ii) the three design codes provided safe compression resistance predictions (though conservative to different extents, especially for the stocky cross-sections), while the Annex H of the European code and the CSM provided more accurate and consistent resistance predictions due to their proper consideration of material strain hardening.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49435,"journal":{"name":"Thin-Walled Structures","volume":"224 ","pages":"Article 114687"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}