• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.517-532
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• 2020

This paper firstly developed a new type of Double Skin Composite (DSC) beams using novel enhanced C-channels (ECs). The shear behaviour of novel ECs was firstly studied through two push-out tests. Eleven full-scale DSC beams with ECs (DSCB-ECs) were tested under four-point loading to study their ultimate strength behaviours, and the studied parameters were thickness of steel faceplate, spacing of ECs, shear span, and strength of concrete core. Test results showed that all the DSCB-ECs failed in flexure-governed mode, which confirmed the effective bonding of ECs. The working mechanisms of DSCB-ECs with different parameters were reported, analysed and discussed. The load-deflection (or strain) behaviour of DSCB-ECs were also detailed reported. The effects of studied parameters on ultimate strength behaviour of DSCB-ECs have been discussed and analysed. Including the experimental studies, this paper also developed theoretical models to predict the initial stiffness, elastic stiffness, cracking, yielding, and ultimate loads of DSCB-ECs. Validations of predictions against 11 test results proved the reasonable estimations of the developed theoretical models on those stiffness and strength indexes. Finally, conclusions were given based on these tests and analysis.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.83 no.5
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• pp.671-680
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• 2022

The shear capacity of beams is an essential parameter in designing beams carrying shear loads. Precise estimation of the ultimate shear capacity typically requires comprehensive calculation methods. For steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams, traditional design methods may not accurately predict the interaction between different parameters affecting ultimate shear capacity. In this study, artificial neural network (ANN) modeling was utilized to predict the ultimate shear capacity of SFRC beams using ten input parameters. The results demonstrated that the ANN with 30 neurons had the best performance based on the values of root mean square error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R²) compared to other ANN models with different neurons. Analysis of the ANN model has shown that the clear shear span to depth ratio significantly affects the predicted ultimate shear capacity, followed by the reinforcement steel tensile strength and steel fiber tensile strength. Moreover, a Genetic Algorithm (GA) was used to optimize the ANN model's input parameters, resulting in the least cost for the SFRC beams. Results have shown that SFRC beams' cost increased with the clear span to depth ratio. Increasing the clear span to depth ratio has increased the depth, height, steel, and fiber ratio needed to support the SFRC beams against shear failures. This study approach is considered among the earliest in the field of SFRC.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.143-152
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• 2020

The wind design of buildings is typically based on strength provisions under ultimate loads. This is unlike the ductility-based approach used in seismic design, which allows inelastic actions to take place in the structure under extreme seismic events. This research investigates the application of a similar concept in wind engineering. In seismic design, the elastic forces resulting from an extreme event of high return period are reduced by a load reduction factor chosen by the designer and accordingly a certain ductility capacity needs to be achieved by the structure. Two reasons have triggered the investigation of this ductility-based concept under wind loads. Firstly, there is a trend in the design codes to increase the return period used in wind design approaching the large return period used in seismic design. Secondly, the structure always possesses a certain level of ductility that the wind design does not benefit from. Many technical issues arise when applying a ductility-based approach under wind loads. The use of reduced design loads will lead to the design of a more flexible structure with larger natural periods. While this might be beneficial for seismic response, it is not necessarily the case for the wind response, where increasing the flexibility is expected to increase the fluctuating response. This particular issue is examined by considering a case study of a sixty-five-story high-rise building previously tested at the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory at the University of Western Ontario using a pressure model. A three-dimensional finite element model is developed for the building. The wind pressures from the tested rigid model are applied to the finite element model and a time history dynamic analysis is conducted. The time history variation of the straining actions on various structure elements of the building are evaluated and decomposed into mean, background and fluctuating components. A reduction factor is applied to the fluctuating components and a modified time history response of the straining actions is calculated. The building components are redesigned under this set of reduced straining actions and its fundamental period is then evaluated. A new set of loads is calculated based on the modified period and is compared to the set of loads associated with the original structure. This is followed by non-linear static pushover analysis conducted individually on each shear wall module after redesigning these walls. The ductility demand of shear walls with reduced cross sections is assessed to justify the application of the load reduction factor "R".

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.373-384
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• 2024

In this study, a novel mountain train system was developed that can run along a steep gradient of 180 ‰ and sharp curve with a minimum radius of 10 m. For this novel mountain train, an embedded precast concrete rack rail track was implemented to share the track with an automobile road and increase constructability in mountainous regions. The embedded rack rail track is connected to a hydraulically stabilized base (HSB) layer with shear anchors, which must have sufficient longitudinal resistance because they bear most of the traction forces originated from the rack rail and longitudinal loads owing to the steep gradient. In addition, the damage to the shear anchor parts, including the surrounding concrete, must be strictly limited under the service load because the maintenance of shear anchors inside the track is extremely difficult after installation. In this study, the focus was made on the shear anchor behavior and design an embedded rack rail track, considering the serviceability and ultimate limit states. Accordingly, the design loads for mountain trains were established, and the serviceability criteria of the anchor were proposed. Subsequently, the resistance and damage of the shear anchors were evaluated and analyzed based on the results of several finite element analyses. Finally, the design method of the shear anchors for the embedded rack rail track was established and verified.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.179-188
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• 2011

The performance-based design is highlighted as an alternative for the current design method, which cannot definitely specify the performance level that a building requires. Research on it is already in progress, however, in developed countries like the United States and Japan, to establish the basis for a performance-based design. Many studies on such design are also being conducted in South Korea, but South Korea still lags behind other countries in all-around technology. On the other hand, the column members, especially the lower external column, are affected by the variation of the axial force by overturning the moments in the case of lateral loads by earthquake. Varying the axial force can affect the time of local buckling and the ultimate behavior. Thus, in this study, the structural performance, such as the time of local buckling and the ultimate behavior, was analyzed through an experimental study on column members under varying axial force. The feasibility of a domestic study proposing a performance level with a story drift angle formed about a structural-performance-based steel structure design was also verified.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.5 no.2_3
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• pp.235-246
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• 2005

Local buckling is a major consideration in the design of thin-walled cold-formed steel sections. The main effect of local buckling in plate elements under longitudinal compressive stresses is to cause a redistribution of the stresses in which the greatest portion of the load is carried near the supporting edges of the plate junctions. The redistribution produces increased stresses near the plate junctions and high bending stresses as a result of plate flexure, leading to ultimate loads below the squash load of the section. In singly symmetric cross-sections, the redistribution of longitudinal stress caused by local buckling also produces a shift of the line of action of internal force (shift of effective centroid). The fundamentally different effects of local buckling on the behaviour of pin-ended and fixed-ended singly symmetric columns lead to inconsistencies in traditional design approaches. The paper describes local buckling and shift of effective centroid of thin-walled cold-formed steel channel columns. Tests of channel columns have been described. The experimental local buckling loads were compared with the theoretical local buckling loads obtained using an elastic finite strip buckling analysis. The shift of the effective centroid was also compared with the shift predicted using the Australian/New Zealand and American specifications for cold-formed steel structures.

• Journal of Ship and Ocean Technology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.38-57
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• 2000

This paper deals with reliability analysis of specially orthotropic plates subjected to transverse lateral pressure loads by using Monte Carlo simulation method. The plates are simply supported around their all edges and have a low short span to plate depth ratio with rectangular plate shapes. Various levels of reliability analyses of the plates are performed within the context of First-Ply-Failure(FPF) analysis such as ply-/laminate-level reliability analyse, failure tree analysis and sensitivity analysis of basic design variables to estimated plate reliabilities. In performing all these levels of reliability analyses, the followings are considered within the Monte Carlo simulation method: (1) input parameters to the strengths of the plates such as applied transverse lateral pressure loads, elastic moduli, geometric including plate thickness and ultimate strength values of the plates are treated as basic design variables following a normal probability distribution; (2) the mechanical responses of the plates are calculated by using simplified higher-order shear deformation theory which can predict the mechanical responses of thick laminated plates accurately; and (3) the limit state equations are derived from polynomial failure criteria for composite materials such as maximum stress, maximum strain, Tsai-Hill, Tsai-Wu and Hoffman.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.379-392
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• 2020

The paper presents a Life-Cycle Cost-based optimization framework for wind-excited tall buildings equipped with Tuned Mass Dampers (TMDs). The objective is to minimize the Life-Cycle Cost that comprises initial costs of the structure, the control system and costs related to repair, maintenance and downtime over the building's lifetime. The integrated optimization of structural sections and mass ratio of the TMDs is carried out, leading to a set of Pareto optimal solutions. The main advantage of the proposed methodology is that, differently from the traditional optimal design approach, it allows to perform the unified design of both the structure and the control system in a Life Cycle Cost Analysis framework. The procedure quantifies wind-induced losses, related to structural and nonstructural damage, considering the stochastic nature of the loads (wind velocity and direction), the specificity of the structural modeling (e.g., non-shear-type vibration modes and torsional effects) and the presence of the TMDs. Both serviceability and ultimate limit states related to the structure and the TMDs' damage are adopted for the computation of repair costs. The application to a case study tall building allows to demonstrate the efficiency of the procedure for the integrated design of the structure and the control system.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.429-448
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• 2016

This paper presents a finite element (FE) model for predicting the behaviour of steel column-column connections under axial compression and tension. A robustness approach is utilised for the design of steel column-column connections. The FE models take into account for the effects of initial geometric imperfections, material nonlinearities and geometric nonlinearities. The accuracy of the FE models is examined by comparing the predicted results with independent experimental results. It is demonstrated that the FE models accurately predict the ultimate axial strengths and load-deflection curves for steel column-column connections. A parametric study is carried out to investigate the effects of slenderness ratio, contact surface imperfection, thickness of cover-plates, end-plate thickness and bolt position. The buckling strengths of steel column-column connections with contact surface imperfections are compared with design strengths obtained from Australian Standards AS4100 (1998) and Eurocode 3 (2005). It is found that the column connections with maximum allowable imperfections satisfy the design requirements. Furthermore, the steel column-column connections analysed in this paper can be dismantled and reused safely under typical service loads which are usually less than 40% of ultimate axial strengths. The results indicate that steel column-column connections can be demounted at 50% of the ultimate axial load which is greater than typical service load.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.455-458
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• 1999

It has been known that buildings having inappropriate expansion joints in their spacings may be subject to exterior damages due to extensive cracks on the outer walls under service loads, and structural damages due to excessive moment induced by temperature changes at ultimate load conditions. Rather inconsistent code provisions are available regarding spacings of expansion joints from different foreign structural codes and even worse, no quantiative measure on spacings is given in our codes for building structures. In order to establish a rational measure on the spacing of expansion joints, theoretical approaches are taken in this study. The developed theoretical formula is, then, converted to design chart for structural designer's convenience in its use. The chart considers both service and ultimate load stages.