• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.365-384
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• 2014

The intensity of a ground motion can be measured by a number of parameters, some of which might exhibit robust correlations with the damage of structures subjected to that motion. In this study, 204 near-fault pulse-type records are selected and their seismic parameters are determined. Time history and damage analyses of a tested 3-storey reinforced concrete frame representing for low-rise reinforced concrete buildings subjected to those earthquake motions are performed after calibration and comparison with the available experimental results. The aim of this paper is to determine amongst several available seismic parameters, the ones that have strong correlations with the structural damage measured by a damage index and the maximum inter-story drift. The results show that Velocity Spectrum Intensity is the leading parameter demonstrating the best correlation, followed by Housner Intensity, Spectral Acceleration and Spectral Displacement. These seismic parameters are recommended as reliable parameters of near-fault pulse-type motions related to damage potential of low-rise reinforced concrete structures. The results also reaffirm that the conventional and widely used parameter of Peak Ground Acceleration does not exhibit a good correlation with the structural damage.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.763-782
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• 2011

Results from nonlinear time-history analyses of wall-frame structural models indicate that the condition of vulnerable foundations -for which uplifting and reaching the bearing capacity of the supporting soil can occur before yielding at the base of the shear walls- may not be necessarily detrimental to the drift response of buildings under strong ground motions. Analyses also show that a soil-foundation system can inherently have deformation capacity well in excess of the demand and thus act as a source of energy dissipation that protects the structural integrity of the shear walls.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.479-491
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• 2018

Shape memory alloys (SMA) exhibit superelasticity which refers to the capability of entirely recovering large deformation upon removal of applied forces and dissipating input energy during the cyclic loading reversals when the environment is above the austenite finish temperature. This property is increasingly favored by the earthquake engineering community, which is currently developing resilient structures with prompt recovery and affordable repair cost after earthquakes. Compared with the other SMAs, NiTi SMAs are widely deemed as the most promising candidate in earthquake engineering. This paper contributes to evaluate the seismic performance of properly designed concentrically braced frames (CBFs) equipped with NiTi SMA braces under earthquake ground motions corresponding to frequently-occurred, design-basis and maximum-considered earthquakes. An ad hoc seismic design approach that was previously developed for structures with idealized SMAs was introduced to size the building members, by explicitly considering the strain hardening characteristics of NiTi SMA particularly. The design procedure was conducted to compliant with a suite of ground motions associated with the hazard level of design-basis earthquake. A total of four six-story CBFs were designed by setting different ductility demands for SMA braces while designating with a same interstory drift target for the structural systems. The analytical results show that all the designed frames successfully met the prescribed seismic performance objectives, including targeted maximum interstory drift, uniform deformation demand over building height, eliminated residual deformation, controlled floor acceleration, and slight damage in the main frame. In addition, this study indicates that the strain hardening behavior does not necessarily impose undesirable impact on the global seismic performance of CBFs with SMA braces.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.635-643
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• 2018

In the present study, influence of earthquake intensity range on seismic fragility analysis of a RC bridge has been evaluated. For this purpose, a RC bridge damaged by a past earthquake has been selected, and analytical model of the bridge has been developed for nonlinear dynamic time-history analysis. A total of 25 recorded earthquake motions have been employed for the nonlinear analysis from which maximum lateral drift ratio of piers are obtained. Then, seismic fragility analysis has been conducted for the bridge using the nonlinear analysis results. Probability of exceeding damage has been computed in terms of using the maximum likelihood estimation, and effect of earthquake intensity range of the motions on seismic fragility curves has been assessed analytically. Analytical predictions indicate that the earthquake intensity range is of utmost significance for rationale seismic fragility analysis reflecting a physical damage state of a bridge and seismic performance evaluation of such bridge.

• Journal of Ship and Ocean Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.1-13
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• 2007

A semi-submersible drilling rig is regarded as one of the typical offshore structures operated in the field with moderate environments such as the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, and West Africa. Its typical roll and pitch natural periods are around 30 seconds, which avoids prevailing regions of the wave energy spectrum, and their responses in waves are quite acceptable for common operation conditions. But large roll and pitch motions can be induced by wave difference frequency energy spectrum if the metacentric heights of a semi-submersible decrease to small values in some loading conditions, and it is because the roll and pitch natural periods increase and approach to the region where the spectral density of the low frequency wave drift moment has significant value. This paper describes the low frequency roll motion of a semi-submersible that are excited by the wave 2nd order difference frequency energy by a series of model experiments. From the model tests with several different initial metacentric heights (GM), it was observed that a semi-submersible can experience large roll motion due to the wave group spectrum.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.323-342
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• 2013

In the case of seismic-resistant composite dual moment resisting and eccentrically braced frames, the current design practice is to avoid the disposition of shear connectors in the expected plastic zones, and consequently to consider a symmetric moment or shear plastic hinges, which occur only in the steel beam or link. Even without connectors, the real behavior of the hinge may be different from the symmetric assumption since the reinforced concrete slab is connected to the steel element close to the hinge locations, and also due to contact friction between the concrete slab and the steel element. At a larger level, the structural response in the case of important seismic motions depends directly on the elasto-plastic behavior of elements and hinges. The numerical investigation presented in this study summarizes the results of elasto-plastic analyses of several steel frames, considering the interaction of the steel beam with the concrete slab. Several parameters, such as the inter-story drift, plastic rotation requirements and behavior factors q were monitored. In order to obtain accurate results, adequate models of plastic hinges are proposed for both the composite short link and composite reduced beam sections.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.623-632
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• 2018

Performance-Based Plastic Design (PBPD) method has been recently developed to evaluate the behavior of structures in different performance levels. The PBPD method utilizes a base shear force and a lateral load pattern that are estimated based on energy and yielding mechanism concepts. Using of current lateral force pattern results in weak structural members in upper stories of a structure so that the values of the story drift in these stories are larger than the target drift, particularly in high-rise buildings. Therefore, such distribution requires modifications to overcome this drawback. This paper proposes a modified lateral load pattern for steel Eccentrically Braced Frames (EBFs) based on parametric study. In order to achieve the modified load pattern, a group of 26 EBFs has been analyzed under a set of 20 earthquake ground motions. Additionally, results of nonlinear dynamic analyses of EBFs have been post-processed by nonlinear regression analysis in order to derive the new load pattern. To prove the efficiency of present study, three EBFs as examples were designed by modified pattern and current PBPD distribution. Inelastic dynamic analyses results showed that the story drifts using modified lateral load pattern were well within the target values in comparison with current pattern in PBPD, particularly where the effect of the height is significant. The modified load pattern reduces the possibility of underdesigning in upper levels and overdesigning in lower levels of the frames.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.8-12
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• 2004

The anchor is laid on the seabed, and the main engine is working against incident environmental loads in a typhoon. As the main engine is broken Mum in the storm, the anchor chain is cut and the vessel drifts. Although a ship is moored by two-point mooring lines to maintain her position, it has crashed into a rock because of a typhoon, resulting in a possible accidental oil spillage. In this paper, we studied maintenance of a ship's position, which is analyzed based on the slow motion maneuvering equations considering wave, current, and wind. To estimate wave loads, the direct integration method is employed. The current forces are calculated, using MMG (Mathematical Modeling Group). Th two-point mooring forces are quasi-statistically evaluated, using the catenary equation. Th coefficients of wind forces are modeled from Isherwood's empirical data, and the variation of wind speed is estimated by wind spectrum. The nonlinear motions of a two-point moored ship are simulated, considering wave, current, and wind load, in specific domain of time.

• Bulletin of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.47-58
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• 1983

A study is made, in the framework of linear potential theory, to investigate the hydrodynamic characteristics of two-dimensional wave-energy absorbers as like the Salter's duck and an oscillating cam with Lewis-form section, which undergo uncoupled heaving and rolling motions in an incident linear gravity wave in deep water. Wave energy is supposed to be extracted by a linearly damped generator with an spring. Some well-known formulae in ship hydrodynamics such as Haskind-Newman relation and Bessho-Newman relation are utilized in forms of Kochin functions to derived expressions for efficiency, breaking effect and drift force of the absorber. Maximum ideal efficiency of 100% can be arrived at an prescribed tuning frequency. Coupling effect is also examined to assess the detrimental effect of sway on efficiency. From numerical calculations for both types of two-dimensional devices it may be concluded that a wave-energy absorber functions at the same time as a wave breaker and that the drift force acting on the device becomes smaller when it absorbs wave energy than as it oscillates freely. Finally the study is extended to an infinite array system, equivalent to a body in a canal, to show that all incident wave energy can be absorbed regardless of the absorber's size, only if the optimum space and the optimum condition of control are realized.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.21-38
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• 2002

A control algorithm combining viscous and non-linear Reid damping mechanisms has been recently proposed by the authors to command active friction dampers. In this paper, friction dampers and the proposed algorithm are applied to control the seismic responses of a nonlinear 20-story building. Piezoelectric stack actuators are used to implement the control algorithm. The capacity of each damper is determined by the practical size of piezoelectric actuators and the availability of power supply. The saturation effect of the actuators on the building responses is investigated. To minimize the peak story drift ratio or floor acceleration of the building structure, a practical sequential procedure is developed to sub-optimally place the dampers on various floors. The effectiveness of active friction dampers and the efficiency of the proposed sequential procedure are verified by subjecting the building structure to four earthquakes of various intensities. The performance of 80 dampers and 137 dampers installed on the structure is evaluated according to 5 criteria. Numerical simulations indicated that the proposed control algorithm effectively reduces the seismic responses of the uncontrolled 20-story building, such as inelastic deformation. The sub-optimal placement of dampers based on peak acceleration outperforms that based on peak drift ratio for structures subjected to near-fault ground motions. Saturation of piezoelectric actuators has adverse effect on floor acceleration.