It is well known that optimisation of structures where instability phenomena are present can result in severe imperfection sensitivity [9, 10]. Classical examples are the simple Augusti model and stiffened plates [2, 4]. In both examples, the imperfection sensitivity is due to the interaction of two buckling modes. If the critical loads corresponding to the two buckling modes are well separated...

The high efficiency of circular monocoque cylindrical shells in carrying axial loads is impaired by their extreme sensitivity to imperfections and there is an extensive body of literature that addresses this behavior. Instead of following this classical path, focused on circular cross-sections, this paper presents a novel approach that adopts optimal symmetry-breaking wavy cross-sections (wavy ...

Along with possibility theory, fuzzy relation composition rules will be used in our novel approach to deal with the imperfection and the uncertainty that can affect the information elements in any classification system. This takes place at the level of the descriptors of the dataset and the training set objects that can take imprecise, probabilistic, possibilistic, or even missing values, or it...

In Enterprise Architecture (EA) projects, models are built to represent business and Information Technologies (IT) elements, and to abstract the relation between them in one enterprise under study. The construction of EA models depends on information provided by different kinds of sources, but sources could be insufficient or information could be incomplete or incorrect regarding aspects of the...

the current study assesses the root causes of hydrogen blisters on low strength carbon steel equipment. for this purpose, some experiments including hardness test, non-destructive test (ndt), metallography, and fractograpghy are conducted. the microstructure of two blisters is assessed by means of optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (sem). the microstructural studies show that t...

a new type of infilled frame has been recently proposed. it has a frictional sliding fuse, horizontally installed at the mid-height of the infill. it has already shown that such infilled frames have higher ductility, strength and damping ratio as well as more enhanced hysteresis cycles, compared with regular infilled frames. this experimental paper is focused on the influence of gravitational l...

Since the discovery of microemulsions, they have attained increasing significance both in basic research and in industry. Due to their unique properties, namely, ultralow interfacial tension, large interfacial area, thermodynamic stability and the ability to solubilize otherwise immiscible liquids, uses and applications of microemulsions have been numerous. The objective of this review is to pr...

Article history: Received 11 January 2009 Received in revised form 21 August 2009 Accepted 8 September 2009 Available online 13 October 2009