• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.587-597
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• 2007

Steel restrainer cables for multiple frame bridges in California in the United States have been shown to be effective in preventing unseating at internal hinges during the past several earthquakes. Consequently, the steel-cable-restrainer is being tested for applications on multiple-span-simply-supported (MSSS) bridges in the mid-American region. In addition, shape memory alloy (SMA) bars in tension are being studied for the same application, multiple frame bridges, the developed seismic forces are transferred to piers through the restrainers. However, in MSSS bridges, the seismic forces are transferred to abutments by the restrainers. Therefore, the abutment' behavior should also be investigated. In this study, we assessed the seismic performance of the three types of restrainers, such as steel restrainer cables, SMA in tension, and SMA in bending for an MSSS bridge from moderate to strong ground motion, bending test of an SMA bar was conducted and its analytical model was determined for this study. Nonlinear time history analyses were conducted to assess the seismic responses of the as-built and the retrofitted bridges. All three types of restrainers reduced the hinge opening and the SMA in tension was the most effective of the three devices in preventing the unseating, all restrainers produced damage on the abutment from the pulling action of the MSSS bridge due to strong ground motions, was found that the retrofit of the abutment in the pulling action is required in the installation of restrainers in MSSS bridges.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.59-70
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• 2003

We estimated the spectrum decay parameter $\chi$ and the stress parameter ($\Delta$$\sigma$) in southeastern Korea. Especially, we propose a procedure to compute site-independent $\chi$$_{q}$ and dependent $\chi$$_{s}$ values, separately, This procedure is to use the coda normalization method for the computation of site independent Q or corresponding $\chi$$_{q}$ value as the first step followed by the next step, the computation of $\chi$$_{s}$ values for each site using the given $\chi$$_{q}$ value evaluated at the first step, For the estimation of stress parameter, we used seismic data monitored from three earthquakes occurred near Gyeongju in 1999 with the method of Jo and Baag, In addition, we simulated strong ground motion using the $\chi$ value and the stress parameter, In this case, we calculated the $\chi$ value with conventional method. The $\chi$ value of 0.016+0.000157R and the stress parameter of 92-bar was applied to the stochastic simulation, At last, we derived seismic attenuation equation using results of the stochastic prediction, and compared these results with some others reported previously.ported previously.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.629-636
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• 2011

It has been suggested that buildings designed for strong ground motions will also have improved resistance to air blast loads. As an initial attempt to quantify this behavior, the responses of a ten story steel building, designed for the 1994 building code, with lateral resistance provided by perimeter moment frames, is considered. An analytical model of the building is developed and the magnitude and distribution of blast loads on the structure are estimated using available computer software that is based on empirical methods. To obtain the relationship between pressure, time duration, and standoff distance, these programs are used to obtain an accurate model of the air blast loading. A hemispherical surface burst for various explosive weights and standoff distances is considered for generating the air blast loading and determining the structural response. Linear and nonlinear analyses are conducted for these loadings. Air blast demands on the structure are compared to current seismic guidelines. These studies present the displacement responses, story drifts, demand/capacity ratio and inelastic demands for this structure.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 1992

The purpose of this study is to evaluate compatability of seismic source characteristics of the Kern County earthquake to those of Korean Peninsula seismotectonics. The compatability could be used to make Korean type response spectrum from the strong ground motions observed from the assingned earthquake. The July 21, 1952, Kern County, California, earthquake is the largest earthquake to occur in the western U.S. since 1906, and the repeat of this event poses a significant seismic hazard. The Kern County event was a complex thrusting event, with a surface rupture pattern that varied from pure leftlateral strike-slip to pure dip-slip. A time dependent moment tensor inversion was applied to ten observed teleseismic long-period body waves to investigate the source complexity. Since a conventional moment tensor inversion(constant geometry through time) returns a non-double-couple source when the seismic source changes(fault orientation and direction of slip) with time, we are required to use the time dependent moment tensor which allows a first-order mapping of the geometric and temporal complexity. From the moment tensor inversion, a two-point seismic source model with significant overlap for the White Wolf fault, which propagates upward(20 km to 5 km) from SW to NE, fits most of the observed seismic waveforms in the least squares sense. Comparison of P, T and B axes of focal mechanisms and focal depths suggests that seismic source characteristics of the Kern County earthquake is consistant with those of Korean Peninsula Seismotectonics.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.39-63
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• 2011

Referring to the formulation of physical stochastic optimal control of structures and the scheme of optimal polynomial control, a nonlinear stochastic optimal control strategy is developed for a class of structural systems with hysteretic behaviors in the present paper. This control strategy provides an amenable approach to the classical stochastic optimal control strategies, bypasses the dilemma involved in It$\hat{o}$-type stochastic differential equations and is applicable to the dynamical systems driven by practical non-stationary and non-white random excitations, such as earthquake ground motions, strong winds and sea waves. The newly developed generalized optimal control policy is integrated in the nonlinear stochastic optimal control scheme so as to logically distribute the controllers and design their parameters associated with control gains. For illustrative purposes, the stochastic optimal controls of two base-excited multi-degree-of-freedom structural systems with hysteretic behavior in Clough bilinear model and Bouc-Wen differential model, respectively, are investigated. Numerical results reveal that a linear control with the 1st-order controller suffices even for the hysteretic structural systems when a control criterion in exceedance probability performance function for designing the weighting matrices is employed. This is practically meaningful due to the nonlinear controllers which may be associated with dynamical instabilities being saved. It is also noted that using the generalized optimal control policy, the maximum control effectiveness with the few number of control devices can be achieved, allowing for a desirable structural performance. It is remarked, meanwhile, that the response process and energy-dissipation behavior of the hysteretic structures are controlled to a certain extent.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.71-87
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• 2014

Interaction between closely-spaced buildings subject to earthquake induced strong ground motions, termed in the literature as "seismic pounding", occurs commonly during major seismic events in contemporary congested urban environments. Seismic pounding is not taken into account by current codes of practice and is rarely considered in practice at the design stage of new buildings constructed "in contact" with existing ones. Thus far, limited research work has been devoted to quantify the influence of slab-to-slab pounding on the inelastic seismic demands at critical locations of structural members in adjacent structures that are not aligned in series. In this respect, this paper considers a typical case study of a "new" reinforced concrete (R/C) EC8-compliant, torsionally sensitive, 7-story corner building constructed within a block, in bi-lateral contact with two existing R/C 5-story structures with same height floors. A non-linear local plasticity numerical model is developed and a series of non-linear time-history analyses is undertaken considering the corner building "in isolation" from the existing ones (no-pounding case), and in combination with the existing ones (pounding case). Numerical results are reported in terms of averages of ratios of peak inelastic rotation demands at all structural elements (beams, columns, shear walls) at each storey. It is shown that seismic pounding reduces on average the inelastic demands of the structural members at the lower floors of the 7-story building. However, the discrepancy in structural response of the entire block due to torsion-induced, bi-directionally seismic pounding is substantial as a result of the complex nonlinear dynamics of the coupled building block system.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.4 s.44
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• pp.43-54
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• 2005

This paper presents cost-effectiveness evaluation of semi-active control system for cable-stayed bridge under earthquake excitations with various magnitudes and frequency contents. Semi-active control system, which is operated by using Bi-stale control method on the basis of linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) optimal controller, is designed for the benchmark control problem proposed by Dyke et at. The cost-effectiveness of the proposed control system is defined by the ratio of life-cycle costs between a bridge structure with shock transmission units and a bridge structure with the semi-active control devices. The simulated results show that the damper cost has little influence on the cost-effectiveness of the semi-active control system while the cost-effectiveness is quite sensitive to the damage cost induced by the bridge failure. It is also found that the semi-active control system guarantees relatively high cost-effectiveness for the cable-stayed bridge subject to the ground motions in the regions of moderate seismicity with soft soil condition and strong seismicity with stiff soil condition.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.75-86
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• 1999

An analysis model is developed to evaluate the dynamic responses of a bridge system under seismic excitations, in which pounding actions between girders are considered in addition to other phenomena such as nonlinear pier motion, rotational and translational motions of foundations. The model also considers the abutment and restrainers connecting adjacent girders to prevent the unseating failures. Using the developed model, the longitudinal dynamic behaviors of a bridge system are examined for various peak ground accelerations, and the effects of the applied restrainers are investigated. It is found that the restrainers reduce the relative displacement with the shorter clearance length as well as the higher stiffness of the restrainers for moderate excitations. However, in the region with strong excitations the restrainers may yield due to the large relative displacement. Therefore, the extension of support length in addition to restrainers may need to prevent the unseating failure more effectively.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.37-46
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• 2005

In the field of earthquake engineering, recent improvements in many areas, such as seismological source modeling, analysis of travel path effects, and characterization of local site effects on strong shaking, have led to significant advances in both code-based and more advanced procedures for evaluating earthquake ground motions. A missing link, however, is empirically verified design procedures fur assessing the effects of soil-structure interaction (SSI). Available Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI) analysis techniques range from simple substructure-type procedures to relatively sophisticated finite element procedures. The most common substructure approach for foundation-soil interaction is to use a frequency-dependent and complex-valued impedance function. This study uniquely evaluates impedance functions for two well-instrumented sites w significant inertial SSI effects using a system Identification technique. The system identification analysis results are then compared to predictions from a simple theoretical model to gain insight into the inertial interaction effect in the subject sites.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.143-152
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• 2017

This paper focuses on the seismic performance of pallet-type steel storage rack structures in their down aisle direction. As evidenced by experimental research, the seismic response of storage racks in the down-aisle direction is strongly affected by the nonlinear moment-rotation response of the beam-to-column connections. In their down-aisle direction, rack structures are designed to resist lateral seismic loads with typical moment frames utilizing proprietary beam-to-column moment-resisting connections. These connections are mostly boltless hooked type connections and they exhibit significantly large rotations resulting in large lateral frame displacements when subjected to strong ground motions. In this paper, typical hooked boltless beam-to-column connections are studied experimentally to obtain their non-linear reversed cyclic moment-rotation response. Additionally, a compound type connection involving the standard hooks and additional bolts were also tested under similar conditions. The simple introduction of the additional bolts within the hooked connection is considered to be a practical way of structural upgrade in the connection. The experimentally evaluated characteristics of the connections are compared in terms of some important performance indicators such as maximum moment and rotation capacity, change in stiffness and accumulated energy levels within the cyclic loading protocol. Finally, the obtained characteristics were used to carry out seismic performance assessment of rack frames incorporating the tested beam-to-column connections. The assessment involves a displacement based approach that utilizes a simple analytical model that captures the seismic behavior of racks in their down-aisle direction. The results of the study indicate that the proposed method of upgrading appears to be a very practical and effective way of increasing the seismic performance of hooked connections and hence the rack frames in their down-aisle direction.