• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.19-33
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• 2022

Newmark's sliding block analysis is the most commonly used method for predicting earthquake-induced permanent displacement of embankment slopes. Additionally, it yields the amount of slip circle sliding using the limit equilibrium theory. Thus, permanent displacement does not occur until the seismic load exceeds the yield acceleration, which induces sliding of the slip circle. The evolution of Newmark's sliding block analysis has been made by introducing the numerical seismic response analysis results since it was introduced. This study compares seismic performance evaluation results for the example enclosure dam section with the analysis methods. As a result, earthquake-induced permanent displacement using Newmark's sliding block analysis did not occur for the enclosure dam, indicating a high safety factor. However, nonlinear response history analysis gave reasonable results.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.535-545
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• 2022

Improving the stability of the ground in seismic design requires an understanding of the dynamic behavior of the ground under seismic loads. The shaking table test is an important methodology to provide this understanding. This study aimed to assess the influence on boundary conditions, as they are among the most important factors affecting the test. This was achieved by testing the influence of boundary conditions on the seismic responses of model slopes at different locations in the testing apparatus. A model slope was fabricated at different locations in a laminar shear box, and the influence of the boundary conditions was then measured. Each model slope was created at 100, 50, and 25 cm from the soil wall, and sine wave seismic loads of the same size were inputted. The results confirmed that the acceleration was amplified by the influence of the boundary in the case of the slope being located 25 cm from the boundary, whereas the influence of the boundary conditions decreased when the slope was located at 50~100 cm.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.383-400
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• 2024

For a conventionally repaired frame-supported-transfer-slab (FSTS) reinforced concrete (RC) structure, both the transfer slab and the beam-to-column and transfer slab-to-column joints remain vulnerable to secondary earthquakes. Aimed at improving the seismic performance of a damaged FSTS RC structure, an innovative retrofitting scheme is proposed, which adopts the sector lead rubber dampers (SLRDs) at joints after the damaged FSTS RC structure is repaired by conventional approaches. In this paper, a series of quasi-static cyclic tests was conducted on a large-scale retrofitted FSTS RC structure. The seismic performance was evaluated and the key test results, including deformation characteristics, damage pattern, hysteretic behaviour, bearing capacity and strains on key components, were reported in detail. The test results indicated that the SLRDs started to dissipate energy under the service level earthquake, and thus prevented damages on the beam-to-column and transfer slab-to-column joints during the secondary earthquakes and shifted the plastic hinges away from the beam ends. The retrofitting scheme of using SLRDs also achieved the seismic design concept of 'strong joint, weak component'. The FSTS RC structure retrofitted by the SLRDs could recover more than 85% bearing capacity of its undamaged counterpart. The hysteresis curves were featured by the inverse "S" shape, indicating good bearing capacity and hysteresis performance. The deformation capacity of the damaged FSTS RC structure retrofitted by the SLRDs met the corresponding codified requirements for the case of the maximum considered earthquake, as set out in the Chinese seismic design code. The stability of the FSTS RC structure retrofitted by the SLRDs, which was revealed by the developed stains of the RC frame and transfer slab, was improved compared with the undamaged FSTS RC structure.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2007

Recent seismic surveys have shown that the presence of methane hydrate (MH) in sediments has significant influence on seismic attenuation. I have used vertical seismic profile (VSP) data from a Nankai Trough exploratory well, offshore Tokai in central Japan, to estimate compressional attenuation in MH-bearing sediments at seismic frequencies of 30-110 Hz. The use of two different measurement methods (spectral ratio and centroid frequency shift methods) provides an opportunity to validate the attenuation measurements. The sensitivity of attenuation analyses to different depth intervals, borehole irregularities, and different frequency ranges was also examined to validate the stability of attenuation estimation. I found no significant compressional attenuation in MH-bearing sediments at seismic frequencies. Macroscopically, the peaks of highest attenuation in the seismic frequency range correspond to low-saturation gas zones. In contrast, high compressional attenuation zones in the sonic frequency range (10-20 kHz) are associated with the presence of methane hydrates at the same well locations. Thus, this study demonstrated the frequency-dependence of attenuation in MH-bearing sediments; MH-bearing sediments cause attenuation in the sonic frequency range rather than the seismic frequency range As a possible reason why seismic frequencies in the 30-110 Hz range were not affected in MH-bearing sediments, I point out the effect of thin layering of MH-bearing zones.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.336-348
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• 2010

The Single-channel seismic survey with the source of bubble pulser and drilling survey was carried out in 2008 and 2009 for the site survey of Daecheon-Wonsando area, which was a proposed area of Korea-China subsea tunnel. The goal of this study is to analyze the depth and characteristics of acoustic basement for the stability assessment and tunnel design in this proposed area through combining drilling data with this single-channel seismic data after detailed processing. For this purpose, among the data processing schemes which are usually applied to multi-channel seismic data, we applied the F-K filtering to eliminate the AC(alternating current) noise and the post-stack depth migration to produce depth section. As a result, we verified that the improved depth section could be obtained from single-channel seismic data, and the distribution and characteristics of basement could be analyzed in survey area through the combined analysis with drilling data. However, we could not interpret the detailed structures, fault and fracture zone, due to the quality of bubble pulser source and single-channel data. We expect that those detailed structures can be analyzed when higher resolution seismic data is provided. Therefore, we recommend some items for future seismic survey of subsea tunnel to obtain the high resolution seismic data.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.129-144
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• 2003

Generally, investigation methods of cut slope are conducted only geological surface survey to gain engineering geological data of cut slopes. These methods have many problems such as limitations of investigation for a special area. So geophysical investigations such as geotomography, seismic and electrical resistivity methods have been used to search for failure surface in potential failure slopes or failed slopes. But investigation method using the borehole camera is recently a used method and it is thought that this method is more reliable method than other investigation methods because of being able to see by the eyes. Therefore, this paper was conducted investigations of borings and BIPS(Borehole Image Processing System) to search for potential sliding surfaces and was applied to obtain information of discontinuity on failed and potential failure slope in highway. As the results of BIPS, we could decide potential sliding surface in the slope, conducted to check slope stability and decided slope stability measures.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.511-524
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• 2020

Advancements in materialistic life styles and increasing awareness about adverse climatic changes and its negative effects on human life have been the driving force of finding new and clean sources of energy. Wind power has become technologically mature and commercially acceptable on global scale. However, fossil fuels have been the major sources of energy in most countries, renewable energy (particularly wind) is now booming worldwide. To cope with this wind energy technology, various related aspects have to be understood by the scientific, engineering, utility, and contracting communities. This study is an effort towards the understanding of the (i) wind turbine blade and tower structural stability issues, (ii) turbine blade and tower failures and remedial measures, (iii) weather and seismic effects on turbine blade and tower failures, (iv) gear box failures, and (v) turbine blade and tower failure analysis tools.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.193-204
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• 2023

The concept of meta-material-based isolation systems (MMIS) for structural columns has been revisited in the present study in order to enhance the stability of rubber pads by using steel shim reinforced rubber (SSRR) layers. Analytical calculations have shown a significant improvement in the stability of MMIS with SSRR pads. Finite element analysis has also been conducted to further show the reduced response of a bridge with the modified MMIS under excitations having frequencies within the corresponding attenuation zone (AZ) as compared to the response of a conventional bridge without MMIS. FE analysis further shows the stress generated on the bridge with MMIS systems are within safe limits. Finally, a generalized procedure has been developed to design bridge columns with the proposed modified MMIS.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1251-1267
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• 2016

In this paper, Simple Adaptive Control (SAC) is used to enhance the seismic response of nonlinear tall buildings based on acceleration feedback. Semi-active MR dampers are employed as control actuator due to their reliability and well-known dynamic models. Acceleration feedback is used because of availability, cost-efficiency and reliable measurements of acceleration sensors. However, using acceleration feedback in the control loop causes the structure not to apparently meet some requirements of the SAC algorithm. In addition to defining an appropriate SAC reference model and using inherently stable MR dampers, a modification in the original structure of the SAC is proposed in order to improve its adaptability to the situation in which the plant does not satisfy the algorithm's stability requirements. To investigate the performance of the developed control system, a numerical study is conducted on the benchmark 20-story nonlinear building and the responses of the SAC-controlled structure are compared to an $H_2/LQG$ clipped-optimal controller under the effect of different seismic excitations. As indicated by the results, SAC controller effectively reduces the story drifts and hence the seismically-induced damage throughout the structural members despite its simplicity, independence of structural parameters and while using fewer number of dampers in contrast with the $H_2/LQG$ clipped-optimal controller.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.595-617
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• 2013

Semi-active control equipments are used to effectually enhance the seismic behavior of structures. Magneto-rheological (MR) dampers are semi-active devices that can be utilized to control the response of structures during seismic loads and have received voracious attention for response suppression. They supply the adaptability of active devices and stability and reliability of passive devices. This paper presents an optimal fuzzy logic control scheme for vibration mitigation of buildings using magneto-rheological dampers subjected to near-fault ground motions. Near-fault features including a directivity pulse in the fault-normal direction and a fling step in the fault-parallel direction are considered in the requisite ground motion records. The membership functions and fuzzy rules of fuzzy controller were optimized by genetic algorithm (GA). Numerical study is performed to analyze the influences of near-fault ground motions on a building that is equipped with MR dampers. Considering the uncontrolled system response as the base line, the proposed method is scrutinized by analogy with that of a conventional maximum dissipation energy (MED) controller to accentuate the effectiveness of the fuzzy logic algorithm. Results reveal that the fuzzy logic controllers can efficiently improve the structural responses and MR dampers are quite promising for reducing seismic responses during near-fault earthquakes.