• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.68 no.6
• /
• pp.677-689
• /
• 2018

Residual deformation is a crucial index that should be paid special attention in the performance-based seismic analyses of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Owing to their superior re-centering capacity under earthquake excitations, the post-tensioned self-centering (PTSC) RC frames have been proposed and developed for engineering application during the past few decades. This paper presents a comprehensive assessment on the seismic fragility of a PTSC frame by simultaneously considering maximum and residual deformations. Bivariate limit states are defined according to the pushover analyses for maximum deformations and empirical judgments for residual deformations. Incremental Dynamic Analyses (IDA) are conducted to derive the probability of exceeding predefined limit states at specific ground motion intensities. Seismic performance of the PTSC frame is compared with that of a conventional monolithic RC frame. The results show that, taking a synthetical consideration of maximum and residual deformations, the PTSC frame surpasses the monolithic frame in resisting most damage states, but is more vulnerable to ground motions with large intensities.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.1 no.4
• /
• pp.391-410
• /
• 2010

There are several important considerations that need to be made in the capacity design of RC frame-wall structures. Capacity design forces will be affected by material overstrength, higher mode effects and secondary loadpaths associated with the 3-dimensional structural response. In this paper, the main issues are identified and different means of predicting capacity design forces are reviewed. In order to ensure that RC frame-wall structures perform well it is explained that the prediction of the peak shears and moments that develop in the walls is particularly important and unfortunately very challenging. Through examination of a number of case study structures it is shown that there are a number of serious limitations with capacity design procedures included in current codes. The basis and potential of alternative capacity design procedures available in the literature is reviewed, and a new simplified capacity design possibility is proposed. Comparison with the results of 200 NLTH analyses of frame-wall structures ranging from 4 to 20 storeys suggest that the new method is able to predict wall base shears and mid-height wall moments reliably. However, efforts are also made to highlight the uncertainty with capacity design procedures and emphasise the need for future research on the subject.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.337-345
• /
• 2024

This research proposed a particle swarm optimization (PSO) based seismic retrofit design of moment frame structures using a steel frame assembly. Two full scale specimens of the steel frame assembly with different corner details were attached to one-story RC frames for seismic retrofit, and the lateral load resisting capacities of the retrofitted frames subjected to cyclic loads were compared with those of a bare RC frame. The open source software framework Opensees was used to develop an analytical model for validating the experimental results. The developed analytical model and the optimization scheme were applied to a case study structure for economic seismic retrofit design, and its seismic performance was assessed before and after the retrofit. The results show that the developed steel frame assembly was effective in increasing seismic load resisting capability of the structure, and the PSO algorithm could be applied as convenient optimization tool for seismic retrofit design of structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.59 no.4
• /
• pp.653-669
• /
• 2016

Recent earthquakes worldwide show that a significant portion of the earthquake shaking happens in the vertical direction. This phenomenon has raised significant interests to consider the vertical ground motion during the seismic design and assessment of the structures. Strong vertical ground motions can alter the axial forces in the columns, which might affect the shear capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) members. This is particularly important for non-ductile RC frames, which are very vulnerable to earthquake-induced collapse. This paper presents the detailed nonlinear dynamic analysis to quantify the collapse risk of non-ductile RC frame structures with varying heights. An array of non-ductile RC frame architype buildings located in Los Angeles, California were designed according to the 1967 uniform building code. The seismic responses of the architype buildings subjected to concurrent horizontal and vertical ground motions were analyzed. A comprehensive array of ground motions was selected from the PEER NGA-WEST2 and Iran Strong Motions Network database. Detailed nonlinear dynamic analyses were performed to quantify the collapse fragility curves and collapse margin ratios (CMRs) of the architype buildings. The results show that the vertical ground motions have significant impact on both the local and global responses of non-ductile RC moment frames. Hence, it is crucial to include the combined vertical and horizontal shaking during the seismic design and assessment of non-ductile RC moment frames.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.309-322
• /
• 2017

In this paper, a simplified evaluation method of the skeleton curve for reinforced concrete (RC) frame with unreinforced masonry (URM) infill is proposed in a practical form, based on the previous studies. The backbone curve for RC boundary frame was modeled by a tri-linear envelope with cracking and yielding points. On the other hand, that of URM infill was modeled by representative characteristic points of cracking, maximum, and residual strength; also, the interaction effect between RC boundary frame and the infill was taken into account. The overall force-displacement envelopes by the sum of RC boundary frame and URM infill, where the backbone curves of the infill from other studies were also considered, were then compared with the previous experimental results. The simplified estimation results from this study were found to almost approximate the overall experimental results with conservative evaluations, and they showed much better agreement than the cases employing the infill envelopes from other studies.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.791-818
• /
• 2013

The seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures with irregularities leading to soft first floor is studied using capacity assessment procedures. The soft first story effect is investigated for the cases: (i) slab-column connections without beams at the first floor, (ii) tall first story height and (iii) pilotis type building (open ground story). The effects of the first floor irregularity on the RC frame structure performance stages at global and local level (limit states) are investigated. Assessment based on the Capacity Spectrum Method (ATC-40) and on the Coefficient Method (FEMA 356) is also examined. Results in terms of failure modes, capacity curves, interstory drifts, ductility requirements and infills behaviour are presented. From the results it can be deduced that the global capacity of the structures is decreased due to the considered first floor morphology irregularities in comparison to the capacities of the regular structure. An increase of the demands for interstory drift is observed at the first floor level due to the considered irregularities while the open ground floor structure (pilotis type) led to even higher values of interstory drift demands at the first story. In the cases of tall first story and slab-column connections without beams soft-story mechanisms have also been observed at the first floor. Rotational criteria (EC8-part3) showed that the structure with slab-column connections without beams exhibited the most critical response.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.8 no.6
• /
• pp.1435-1452
• /
• 2015

The performance of masonry infilled frames during the past earthquakes shows that the infill panels play a major role as earthquake-resistant elements. Experimental observations regarding the influence of infill panels on increasing stiffness and strength of reinforced concrete structures reveal that such panels can be used in order to strengthen reinforced concrete frames. The present study examines the influence of infill panels on seismic behavior of RC frame structures. For this purpose, several low- and mid-rise RC frames (two-, four-, seven-, and ten story) were numerically investigated. Reinforced masonry infill panels were then placed within the frames and the models were subjected to several nonlinear incremental static and dynamic analyses. In order to determine the acceptance criteria and modeling parameters for frames as well as reinforced masonry panels, the Iranian Guideline for Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Masonry Buildings (Issue No. 376), the Iranian Guideline for Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Structures (Issue No. 360) and FEMA Guidelines (FEMA 273 and 356) were used. The results of analyses showed that the use of reinforced masonry infill panels in RC frame structures can have beneficial effects on structural performance. It was confirmed that the use of masonry infill panels results in an increment in strength and stiffness of the framed buildings, followed by a reduction in displacement demand for the structural systems.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.41 no.6
• /
• pp.759-773
• /
• 2012

The objective of this paper is to present an energy-based method for calculating target displacement of RC structures. The method, which uses the Newmark-Hall pseudo-velocity spectrum, is called the "Pseudo-velocity Spectrum (PSVS) Method". The method is based on the energy balance concept that uses the equality of energy demand and energy capacity of the structure. First, nonlinear static analyses are performed for five, eight and ten-story RC frame structures and pushover curves are obtained. Then the pushover curves are converted to energy capacity diagrams. Seven strong ground motions that were recorded at different soil sites in Turkey are used to obtain the pseudo-acceleration and the pseudo-velocity response spectra. Later, the response spectra are idealised with the Newmark-Hall approximation. Afterwards, energy demands for the RC structures are calculated using the idealised pseudo-velocity spectrum. The displacements, obtained from the energy capacity diagrams that fit to the energy demand values of the RC structures, are accepted as the energy-based performance point of the structures. Consequently, the target displacement values determined from the PSVS Method are checked using the displacement-based successive approach in the Turkish Seismic Design Code. The results show that the target displacements of RC frame structures obtained from the PSVS Method are very close to the values calculated by the approach given in the Turkish Seismic Design Code.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.241-264
• /
• 2013

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the progressive and rapid spread of reinforced concrete (RC) has led to the adoption of mixed masonry-RC solutions, such as the confined masonry. However, together with structures conceived with a definite role for earthquake behaviour, the spreading of RC technology has caused the birth of mixed solutions inspired more by functional aspects than by structural ones, such as: internal masonry walls replaced by RC frames, RC walls inserted to build staircases or raising made from RC frames. Usually, since these interventions rise from a spontaneous build-up, any capacity design or ductility concepts are neglected being designed only to bear vertical loads: thus, the vulnerability assessment of this class becomes crucial. To investigate the non-linear seismic response of these structures, suitable models and effective numerical tools are needed. Among the various modelling approaches proposed in the literature and codes, the authors focus their attention on the equivalent frame model. After a brief description of the adopted model and its numerical validation, the authors aim to point out some specific peculiarities of the seismic response of mixed masonry-RC structures and their repercussions on safety verification procedures (referring in particular way to the non-linear static ones). In particular, the results of non-linear static analyses performed parametrically to various configurations representative of different interventions are discussed.

• 한국방재학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2008.02a
• /
• pp.53-56
• /
• 2008

A reinforced concrete (RC) cast-in-place (CIP) infill wall retrofitting method may provide an improved seismic performance and economical efficiency for the non-ductile rahmen structures. In this study, four one story-one bay non-ductile frame were constructed and retrofitted with CIP infill wall to evaluate seismic performance of CIP infill wall-frame. From the test results, infill wall-frame exhibited a marked increase in shear strength compared to non-ductile RC frame specimen. But the ductility and story-drift at maximum load were decreased when shear strength of infill wall larger than that of existing RC frame. Therefore, it is confirmed that adequate reinforcement detail is required to assure sufficient seismic performance.