• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.101-126
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• 2024

To avoid irregularities in buildings, design codes worldwide have introduced detailed guidelines for their check and rectification. However, the criteria used to define and identify each of the plan and vertical irregularities are specific and may vary between codes of different countries, thus making their implementation difficult. This short communication paper proposes a novel approach for quantifying different types of structural irregularities using a common parameter named as unified identification factor, which is exclusively defined for the columns based on their axial loads and tributary areas. The calculation of the identification factor is demonstrated through the analysis of rectangular and circular reinforced concrete models using ETABS v18.0.2, which are further modified to generate plan irregular (torsional irregularity, cut-out in floor slab and non-parallel lateral force system) and vertical irregular (mass irregularity, vertical geometric irregularity and floating columns) models. The identification factor is calculated for all the columns of a building and the range within which the value lies is identified. The results indicate that the range will be very wide for an irregular building when compared to that with a regular configuration, thus implying a strong correlation of the identification factor with the structural irregularity. Further, the identification factor is compared for different columns within a floor and between floors for each building model. The findings suggest that the value will be abnormally high or low for a column in the vicinity of an irregularity. The proposed factor could thus be used in the preliminary structural design phase, so as to eliminate the complications that might arise due to the geometry of the structure when subjected to lateral loads. The unified approach could also be incorporated in future revisions of codes, as a replacement for the numerous criteria currently used for classifying different types of irregularities.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.297-304
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• 2014

Recently, there have been some reported examples of structural collapse due to gravity, subsequent to damage from accident or an excitation that was not prepared for in the design process. A close view of new concepts, such as a redundancy and key elements, has been taken with the aim of ensuring the robustness of a structure, even in the event of an unexpected disturbance. The author previously proposed a sensitivity index of the vertical load carrying capacity to member disappearance for framed structures. The index is defined as the ratio of the load carrying capacity after a member or a set of an adjacent member disappears, to the original load carrying capacity. The member with the highest index may be regarded as a key element. The concept of bio-mimicry is being applied to various fields of engineering, and tree-shaped structures are sometimes used for the design of building structures. In this study a sensitivity analysis is applied to the irregular-framed structures such as tree-shaped structures.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.257-264
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• 2021

This study established a numerical model capable of calculating the wave overtopping rate of coastal structures by nonlinear irregular waves using the FUNWAVE-TVD model, a fully nonlinear Boussinesq equation model. Here, a numerical model was established by coding the mean value approach equations of EurOtop (2018) and empirical formula by Goda (2009), and adding them as subroutines of the FUNWAVE-TVD model. The verification of the model was performed by numerically calculating the wave overtopping rate of nonlinear irregular waves on vertical wall structures and comparing them with the experimental results presented in EurOtop (2018). As a result of the verification, the numerical calculation result according to the EurOtop equation of this model was very well matched with the experimental result in all relative freeboard (R_c/H_mo) range under non-impulsive wave conditions, and the numerical calculation result of empirical formula was evaluated slightly smaller than the experimental result in R_c/H_mo < 0.8 and slightly larger than the experimental result in R_c/H_mo > 0.8. The results of this model were well represented in both the exponential curve and the power curve under impulsive wave conditions. Therefore, it was confirmed that this numerical model can simulate the wave overtopping rate caused by nonlinear irregular waves in an vertical wall structure.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.149-158
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• 2024

Piloti-type structures with vertical irregularity are vulnerable to earthquakes due to the soft structure of the first story. Structural characteristics of buildings can significantly affect the seismic loss function, calculated based on seismic fragility, and therefore need to be considered. This study investigated the effects of the number of stories and core locations on the seismic loss function of piloti-type buildings in Korea. Twelve analytical models were developed considering two variations: three stories (4-story, 5-story, and 6-story) and four core locations (center core, x-eccentric core, y-eccentric core, and xy-eccentric core). The interstory drift ratio and peak floor acceleration were assessed through incremental dynamic analysis using 44 earthquake records, and seismic fragility was derived. Seismic loss functions were calculated and compared using the derived seismic fragility and repair cost ratio of each component. The results indicate that the seismic loss function increases with more stories and when the core is eccentrically located in the piloti-type structure model. Therefore, the uncertainty due to the number of stories and core location should be considered when deriving the seismic loss function of piloti-type structures.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.7-11
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• 2011

The installation phase for a topside module suggested can be divided into 9 stages, which include start, pre-lifting, lifting, lifted, rotating, positioning, lowering, mating, and end of installation. The transfer of the topside module from a transport barge to a crane vessel takes place in the first three stages, from start to lifting, while the transfer of the module onto a floating spar hull occurs in the last three stages, from lowering to the end. The coupled multi-body motions are calculated in both calm water and in irregular waves with significant wave height (1.52m), with suggested force equilibrium diagrams. The effects of the hydrodynamic interactions between the crane vessel and barge during the lifting stage have been considered. The internal forces caused by the load transfer and ballasting are derived for the lifting phases. The results of these internal forces for the calm water condition are compared with those in the irregular sea condition. Although the effect of pitch motion on the relative vertical motion between the deck of the floating structure and the topside module is significant in the lifting phases, the internal force induced pitch motion is too small to show its influence. However, the effect of the internal force on the wave-induced heave responses in the lifting phases is noticeable in the irregular sea condition because the transfer mass-induced draught changes in the floating structure are observed to have higher amplitudes than the external force induced responses.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.489-503
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• 2022

A 1257-m-long irregular deep foundation pit located in the central of Nanjing, China was constructed using the combined full-width and half-width top-down method. Based on the long-term field monitoring data, this study analyzed the evolution characteristics of the vertical movement of the columns, internal force of the struts, and axial force of the structural beam and slab. The relevance of the three mentioned above and their relationship with the excavation process, structural system, and geological conditions were also investigated. The results showed that the column uplift was within the range of 0.08% to 0.22% of the excavation depth, and the embedded depth ratio of the diaphragm wall and the bottom heave affected significantly on the column uplift. The differential settlement between the column and diaphragm wall remained unchanged after the base slab was cast. The final settlement of the diaphragm wall was twice the column uplift. The internal force of the struts did not varied monotonically but was related to numerous factors such as the excavation depth, number of struts, and environmental conditions. Additionally, the dynamic force and deformation of the columns, beams, and slabs were analyzed to investigate the inherent relationship and variation patterns of the responses of different parts of the structure.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.307-314
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• 2020

High-rise buildings with vertical setback are widely used in practice. From the field investigation of the past earthquakes, it was found that such kind of vertically irregular high-rise building structures easily suffer severe damage during strong earthquakes. This paper presents an extensive study on the earthquake responses of moment-resisting frame structures (MFS) popularly applied in high-rise buildings with vertical setback. Four groups of MFS are designed, including three groups of structures with vertical setback and one group of structures with the lateral stiffness varying along the building height but without vertical setback. The numerical models of the structures are established, and the time history analysis of the structures under different levels of earthquakes is conducted. The earthquake responses of the structures are compared. The influence of the ratio between the horizontal setback dimension and the previous plan dimension, the eccentricity of setback, and the position where the setback occurs on the seismic performance of structures is studied. The rationality of the provisions for the structures with vertical setback specified in the current design codes is checked by the findings from this study.

• Proceedings of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.125-132
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• 2003

This paper clarifies the problems which structural engineers would have when the high-rise reinforced concrete building structures with vertical and plan irregularities are to be designed against earthquakes. The most important problems appear to be as follows: (1) ambiguity in defining the principal direction of the structure and the dynamic base shear, (2) the methodology how to account for the accidental eccentricity when the modal analysis should be conducted as required for the torsionally irregular structures, and (3) the choice of 100/30 and SRSS methods to take into account the effect of the critical direction of earthquake.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.155-160
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• 2002

In this paper, a compliant buoy mooring system of a floating cylindrical structure in shallow water depth is studied experimentally. The compliant buoy mooring system consists of four buoys, vertical mooring legs and horizontal mooring lines. A series of model test were carried out at KRISO ocean engineering basin for various mooring parameters; line length, pretension of mooring leg and mooring layouts and environmental conditions; regular and irregular waves combined with current and wind. The mooring line tensions and 6-DOF motions of the floating structure were measured using water-proof load cells and 3 CCD camera system. The results of a series of model tests were discussed on nonlinear motion behaviors of the floating structure and characterisitics of cumulative distributions of mooring line peak tensions.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.367-380
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• 2014

Tsunami take away life, wash houses away and bring devastation to social infrastructures such as breakwaters, bridges and ports. The targeted coastal structure object in this study can be damaged mainly by the tsunami force together with foundation ground failure due to scouring and liquefaction. The increase of excess pore water pressure composed of oscillatory and residual components may reduce effective stress and, consequently, the seabed may liquefy. If liquefaction occurs in the seabed, the structure may sink, overturn, and eventually increase the failure potential. In this study, the solitary wave was generated using 2D-NIT(Two-Dimensional Numerical Irregular wave Tank) model, and the dynamic wave pressure acting on the seabed and the estimated surface boundary of the vertical revetment. Simulation results were used as an input data in a finite element computer program(FLIP) for elasto-plastic seabed response. The time and spatial variations in excess pore water pressure, effective stress, seabed deformation, structure displacement and liquefaction potential in the seabed were estimated. From the results of the analysis, the stability of the vertical revetment was evaluated.