• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.699-718
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• 2015

The effect of reinforcing concrete members with high strength steel bars with yield strength up to 600 MPa on the overall seismic behavior of concrete moment frames was studied experimentally and numerically. Three geometrically identical plane frame models with two bays and two stories, where one frame model was reinforced with hot rolled bars (HRB) with a nominal yield strength of 335 MPa and the other two by high strength steel bars with a nominal yield strength of 600 MPa, were tested under simulated earthquake action considering different axial load ratios to investigate the hysteretic behavior, ductility, strength and stiffness degradation, energy dissipation and plastic deformation characteristics. Test results indicate that utilizing high strength reinforcement can improve the structural resilience, reduce residual deformation and achieve favorable distribution pattern of plastic hinges on beams and columns. The frame models reinforced with normal and high strength steel bars have comparable overall deformation capacity. Compared with the frame model subjected to a low axial load ratio, the ones under a higher axial load ratio exhibit more plump hysteretic loops. The proved reliable finite element analysis software DIANA was used for the numerical simulation of the tests. The analytical results agree well with the experimental results.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.365-386
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• 2010

This paper presents the physical formulation of a 1D material model suitable for seismic applications. It is written within the framework of thermodynamics with internal variables that is, especially, very efficient for the phenomenological representation of material behaviors at macroscale: those of the representative elementary volume. The model can reproduce the main characteristics observed for concrete, that is nonsymetric loading rate-dependent (viscoelasticity) behavior with appearance of permanent deformations and local hysteresis (continuum plasticity), stiffness degradation (continuum damage), cracking due to displacement localization (discrete plasticity or damage). The parameters have a clear physical meaning and can thus be easily identified. Although this point is not detailed in the paper, this material model is developed to be implemented in a finite element computer program. Therefore, for the benefit of the robustness of the numerical implementation, (i) linear state equations (no local iteration required) are defined whenever possible and (ii) the conditions in which the presented model can enter the generalized standard materials class - whose elements benefit from good global and local stability properties - are clearly established. To illustrate the capabilities of this model - among them for Earthquake Engineering applications - results of some numerical applications are presented.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.157-179
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• 2013

Vulnerability studies on the existing building stock require that a large number of buildings is analyzed to obtain statistically significant evaluations of the seismic performance. Therefore, analytical evaluation methods need to be based on simplified methodologies of analysis which can afford the treatment of a large building population with a reasonable computational effort. Simplified Pushover-Based Earthquake Loss Assessment approach (SP-BELA), where a simplified methodology to identify the structural capacity of the building through the definition of a pushover curve is adopted, was developed on these bases. Main objective of the research work presented in this paper is to validate the simplified methodology implemented in SP-BELA against the results of more sophisticated nonlinear dynamic analyses (NLDAs). The comparison is performed for RC buildings designed only to vertical loads, representative of the "as built" in Italy and in Mediterranean countries with a building stock very similar to the Italian one. In NLDAs the non linear and degrading behaviour, typical of the structures under consideration when subjected to high seismic loads, is evaluated using models able to capture, with adequate accuracy, the non linear behaviour of RC structural elements taking into account stiffness degradation, strength deterioration, and pinching effect. Results show when simplified analyses are in good agreement with NLDAs. As a consequence, unsatisfactory results from simplified analysis are pointed out to address their current applicability limits.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.387-407
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• 2006

A Genetic Algorithm (hereinafter GA) based optimum design algorithm and program for plane steel frames with partially restrained connections is presented. The algorithm was incorporated with the refined plastic hinge analysis method, in which geometric nonlinearity was considered by using the stability functions of beam-column members and material nonlinearity was considered by using the gradual stiffness degradation model that included the effects of residual stress, moment redistribution by the occurrence of plastic hinges, partially restrained connections, and the geometric imperfection of members. In the genetic algorithm, a tournament selection method and micro-GAs were employed. The fitness function for the genetic algorithm was expressed as an unconstrained function composed of objective and penalty functions. The objective and penalty functions were expressed, respectively, as the weight of steel frames and the constraint functions which account for the requirements of load-carrying capacity, serviceability, ductility, and construction workability. To verify the appropriateness of the present method, the optimum design results of two plane steel frames with fully and partially restrained connections were compared.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.619-640
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• 2013

It is highly desirable to explore efficient algorithms for detecting structural damage of large size structural systems with limited input and output measurements. In this paper, a new structural damage detection algorithm based on substructure approach is proposed for large size structural systems with limited input and output measurements. Inter-connection effect between adjacent substructures is treated as 'additional unknown inputs' to substructures. Extended state vector of each substructure and its unknown excitations are estimated by sequential extended Kalman estimator and least-squares estimation, respectively. It is shown that the 'additional unknown inputs' can be estimated by the algorithm without the measurements on the substructure interface DOFs, which is superior to previous substructural identification approaches. Also, structural parameters and unknown excitation are estimated in a sequential manner, which simplifies the identification problem compared with other existing work. Structural damage can be detected from the degradation of the identified substructural element stiffness values. The performances of the proposed algorithm are demonstrated by several numerical examples and a lab experiment. Measurement noise effect is considered. Both the simulation results and experimental data validate that the proposed algorithm is viable for structural damage detection of large size structural systems with limited input and output measurements.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.303-315
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• 2017

This paper describes the finite element model for predicting the fundamental performance of embedded steel column base connections under monotonic and cyclic loading. Geometric and material nonlinearities were included in the proposed finite element model. Bauschinger and pinching effects were considered in the simulation of embedded column base connections under cyclic loading. The degradation of steel yield strength and accumulation of plastic damage can be well simulated. The accuracy of the finite element model is examined by comparing the predicted results with independent experimental dataset. It is demonstrated that the finite element model accurately predicts the behaviour and failure models of the embedded steel column base connections. The finite element model is extended to carry out evaluations and parametric studies. The investigated parameters include column embedded length, concrete strength, axial load and base plate thickness. Moreover, analytical models for predicting the initial stiffness and bending moment strength of the embedded column base connection were developed. The comparison between results from analytical models and those from experiments and finite element analysis proved the developed analytical model was accurate and conservative for design purposes.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2017

It has been observed in the past that, the reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns are very often subjected to torsional moment in addition to flexure and shear during seismic vibration. Ignoring torsion in the design can trigger unexpected shear failure of the columns (Farhey et al. 1993). Performance based seismic design is a popular design philosophy which calls for accurate prediction of the hysteresis behavior of structural elements to ensure safe and economical design under earthquake loading. However, very few investigations in the past focused on the development of analytical models to accurately predict the response of RC members under cyclic torsion. Previously developed hysteresis models are not readily applicable for torsional loading owing to significant pinching and stiffness degradation associated with torsion (Wang et al. 2014). The present study proposes an improved polygonal hysteresis model which can accurately predict the hysteretic behavior of RC circular and square columns under torsion. The primary curve is obtained from mechanics based softened truss model for torsion. The proposed model is validated with test data of two circular and two square columns. A good correlation is observed between the predicted and measured torque-twist behavior and dissipated energy.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2017

In order to improve the deformation capacity of the high-strength concrete shear wall, five high-strength concrete shear wall specimens confined with high-strength rectangular spiral reinforcement (HRSR) possessing different parameters, were designed in this paper. One specimen was only adopted high-strength rectangular spiral hoops in embedded columns, the rest of the four specimens were used high-strength rectangular spiral hoops in embedded columns, and high-strength spiral horizontal distribution reinforcement were used in the wall body. Pseudo-static test were carried out on high-strength concrete shear wall specimens confined with HRSR, to study the influence of the factors of longitudinal reinforcement ratio, hoop reinforcement form and the spiral stirrups outer the wall on the failure modes, failure mechanism, ductility, hysteresis characteristics, stiffness degradation and energy dissipation capacity of the shear wall. Results showed that using HRSR as hoops and transverse reinforcements could restrain concrete, slow load carrying capacity degeneration, improve the load carrying capacity and ductility of shear walls; under the vertical force, seismic performance of the RC shear wall with high axial compression ratio can be significantly improved through plastic hinge area or the whole body of the shear wall equipped with outer HRSR.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.471-482
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• 2018

The composite reinforced concrete and steel (RCS) structural systems have larger structural lateral stiffness, higher inherent structural damping, and faster construction speed than either traditional reinforcement concrete or steel structures. In this paper, four RCS subassemblies with or without the RC slab designed following a strong column-weak beam philosophy were constructed and tested under reversed-cyclic loading. Parameters including the width of slab and composite effect of the RC slab and beam were explored. The test results showed that all specimens performed in a ductile manner with plastic hinges formed in the beam ends near the column faces. The seismic responses of composite connections are influenced significantly by different width of slabs. Compared with that of the steel beam without the RC slab, it was found that the load carrying capacity of composite connections with the RC slab increased by 30% on average, and strength degradation, energy dissipation also had better performance, while the ductility of that were almost the same. Furthermore, the contribution of connection deformation to the overall specimen displacement was analyzed and compared. It decreased approximately 10% due to the coupling effect in the columns and beams with the RC slab. Based on the test result, some suggestions are presented for the design of composite RCS joints.

• The Journal of Engineering Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2004

In this paper, influence of shear on the seismic performance and failure mode of reinforced concrete piers subjected to earthquake loading is investigated. Comparative study has been carried out for reinforced concrete column tests to verify the shear-axial interaction model presented in this paper. Comparison shows that predicted shear hysteretic response agrees well with the test results. Also conducted is a nonlinear time-history analysis of a reinforced concrete bridge damaged by the Kobe earthquake using the current development. Displacement response for piers reveals that maximum displacement is considerably increased due to the effect of shear coupled with axial force variation, which leads to overall stiffness degradation and period elongation. It is therefore concluded that the response considering both shear and axial force gives better explanation regarding the seismic damage evaluation of reinforced concrete bridge piers.