• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.45-53
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• 2010

The unseating failure of bridges, which is one of the most severe types of damage leading to the loss of transportation function, should be avoided in earthquakes. As a measure of prevention of unseating failure resulting from the failure of bearings, bearing-protection devices are frequently used. They are installed beside the bearings and protect the bearings by resisting a seismic load transmitted from the superstructure. In order to show appropriate seismic performance, the strength of anchors as well as of device bodies should be confirmed. In Korea, they have been installed only according to the design provided by device agents, because a proper design method for the anchors has not been established. In this study the performance of bearing-protection devices with various heights of concrete bed blocks has been investigated experimentally, and a proper design method has been proposed to secure seismic performance.

• Journal of the Korean Statistical Society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.297-309
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• 2005

We consider 'efficiency versus privacy-protection' problem concerned with several well-known randomized response (RR) devices to estimate pro­portion of people bearing a stigmatizing characteristic in a community. The literature of RR on respondent's privacy protection discusses only about response specific jeopardy measures. We propose a measure of jeopardy that is independent of the RR offered by the interviewee and recommend it for using as a technical characteristic of the RR device. For ensuring better cooperation from the interviewees this new measure that depends only on the design parameters of the RR devices may be disclosed to the respondents before producing the RR by implementing the randomization device.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.23 no.1 s.178
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• pp.145-151
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• 2006

Wheel bearing unit has been exclusively applied to car wheel supporting device. The seal for wheel bearing is required to have both high sealing effects and low reaction forces because wheel bearing are operated on adverse environmental conditions such as mud and splash water. High sealing effects are for the protection of bearing ball wear from dust influx. In order to ensure high sealing effects, it is a easiest way to increase contact force which are affected by geometric characteristics, material properties and interferences between seal and inner bearing but induces higher wear phenomena. Interferences in all variables are most important factor to determine the performance of wheel bearing. In this study, optimization of interference amount was performed with finite element analysis with commercial code ABAQUS. For the sake of finite element analysis, tensile tests of rubber material were conducted and governing equation of nonlinear behavior was achieved. Hock-up bearing was manufactured with optimized interference amount. Results of torque and mud spray tests using this bearing unit are performed. Less torque and moisture influx of bearing with optimized interference amount is evidence to validity of this study.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.399-412
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• 2011

This study compares the performance of two smart isolation systems that utilize superelastic shape memory alloys (SMAs) for seismic protection of bridges using energy balance concepts. The first isolation system is a SMA/rubber-based isolation system (SRB-IS) and consists of a laminated rubber bearing that decouples the superstructure from the bridge piers and a SMA device that provides additional energy dissipation and re-centering capacity. The second isolation system, named as superelastic-friction base isolator (S-FBI), combines the superelastic SMAs with a flat steel-Teflon bearing rather than a laminated rubber bearing. Seismic energy equations of a bridge structure with SMA-based isolation systems are established by absolute and relative energy balance formulations. Nonlinear time history analyses are performed in order to assess the effectiveness of the isolation systems and to compare their performance. The program RSPMatch 2005 is employed to generate spectrum compatible ground motions that are used in time history analyses of the isolated bridge. Results indicate that SRB-IS produces higher seismic input energy, recoverable energy and base shears as compared to the S-FBI system. Also, it is shown that combining superelastic SMAs with a sliding bearing rather than rubber bearing significantly reduce the amount of the required SMA material.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.495-504
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• 2018

The possibility of earthquakes in vulnerable regions indicates that efficient technique is required for seismic protection of buildings. During the recent decades, the concept is moving towards the insertion of base isolation on seismic prone buildings. So, investigation of structural behavior is a burning topic for buildings to be isolated in base level by bearing device. This study deals with the incorporation of base isolation system and focuses the changes of structural responses for different types of Lead Rubber Bearing (LRB) isolators. A number of sixteen model buildings have been simulated selecting twelve types of bearing systems as well as conventional fixed-base (FB) scheme. The superstructures of the high-rise buildings are represented by finite element assemblage adopting multi-degree of freedoms. Static and dynamic analyses are carried out for FB and base isolated (BI) buildings. The dynamic analysis in finite element package has been performed by the nonlinear time history analysis (THA) based on the site-specific seismic excitation and compared employing eminent earthquakes. The influence of the model type and the alteration in superstructure behavior of the isolated buildings have been duly assessed. The results of the 3D multistory structures show that the lateral forces, displacement, inertia and story accelerations of the superstructure of the seismic prone buildings are significantly reduced due to bearing insertion. The nonlinear dynamic analysis shows 12 to 40% lessening in base shear when LRB is incorporated leading to substantial allowance of horizontal displacement. It is revealed that the LRB isolators might be potential options to diminish the respective floor accelerations, inertia, displacements and base shear whatever the condition coincides. The isolators with lower force intercept but higher isolation period is found to be better for decreasing base shear, floor acceleration and inertia force leading to reduction of structural and non-structural damage. However, LRB with lower isolator period seems to be more effective in dropping displacement at bearing interface aimed at reducing horizontal shift of building structure.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.415-428
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• 2023

Low-cost techniques with seismic isolation performance and excellent resilience need to be explored in the case of rural low-rise buildings because of the limited buying power of rural residents. As an inexpensive and eco-friendly isolation bearing, scrap tire pads (STPs) have the issue of poor resilience. Thus, a seismic isolation system under a column (SISC) integrated with STP needs to be designed for the seismic protection of low-rise rural buildings. The SISC, which is based on a simple exterior design, maintains excellent seismic performance, while the mechanical behavior of the internal STP provides elastic resilience. The horizontal behaviors of the SISC are studied through load tests, and its mechanical properties and the intrinsic mechanism of the reset ability are discussed. Results indicate that the average residual displacement ratio was 24.59%, and the reset capability was enhanced. Comparative experimental and finite element analysis results also show that the load-displacement relationship of the SISC was essentially consistent. The dynamic characteristics of isolated and fixed-base buildings were compared by numerical assessment of the response control effects, and the SISC was found to have great seismic isolation performance. SISC can be used as a low-cost base isolation device for rural buildings in developing countries.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.573-582
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• 2018

This study develops and numerically verifies an innovative seismically resilient bracing system. The proposed self-centering tension-only brace (SC-TOB) is composed of a tensioning system to provide a self-centering response, a frictional device for energy dissipation, and a high-strength steel cable as a bracing element. It is considered to be an improvement over the traditional self-centering braces in terms of lightness, high bearing capacity, load relief, and double-elongation capacity. In this paper, the mechanics of the system are first described. Governing equations deduced from the developed analytical model to predict the behavior of the system are then provided. The results from a finite element validation confirm that the SC-TOB performs as analytically predicted. Key parameters including the activation displacement and load, the self-centering parameter, and equivalent viscous damping are investigated, and their influences on the system behavior are discussed. Finally, a design procedure considering controlled softening behavior is developed and illustrated through a design example.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.6 no.8
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• pp.953-974
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• 2010

The performance of variable dampers for seismic protection of the benchmark highway bridge (phase I) under six real earthquake ground motions is presented. A simplified lumped mass finite-element model of the 91/5 highway bridge in Southern California is used for the investigation. A variable damper, developed from magnetorheological (MR) damper is used as a semi-active control device and its effectiveness with friction force schemes is investigated. A velocity-dependent damping model of variable damper is used. The effects of friction damping of the variable damper on the seismic response of the bridge are examined by taking different values of friction force, step-coefficient and transitional velocity of the damper. The seismic responses with variable dampers are compared with the corresponding uncontrolled case, and controlled by alternate sample control strategies. The results of investigation clearly indicate that the base shear, base moment and mid-span displacement are substantially reduced. In particular, the reduction in the bearing displacement is quite significant. The friction and the two-step friction force schemes of variable damper are found to be quite effective in reducing the peak response quantities of the bridge to a level similar to or better than that of the sample passive, semi-active and active controllers.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.5A
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• pp.685-690
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• 2008

Recently, as large structures become lighter and more flexible, the necessity of structural control for reducing excessive displacement and acceleration due to seismic excitation is increased. As a means to minimize seismic damages, various base isolation systems are adopted or considered for adoption. In this study, a base isolation system using hysteretic damper is shown to effectively protect structures against earthquakes. A mechanical model is determined that can effectively portray the behavior of a typical E-shape device. Comparison with experimental results for a hysteretic damper indicates that the model is accurate over a wide range of operating conditions and adequate for analysis. The seismic performance of hysteretic dampers are studied and compared with the conventional systems as a base isolation system. A five-story building is modeled and the seismic performance of the systems subjected to three different earthquake is compared. The results show that the hysteretic damper system can provide superior protection than the other systems for a wide range of ground motions.