• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.173-186
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• 2017

Conceptual configuration and seismic performance of high-rise steel frame-brace structure are studied. First, the topology optimization problem of minimum volume based on truss-like material model under earthquake action is presented, which is solved by full-stress method. Further, conceptual configurations of 20-storey and 40-storey steel frame-brace structure are formed. Next, the 40-storeystructure model is developed in Opensees. Two common configurations are utilized for comparison. Last, seismic performance of 40-storey structure is derived using nonlinear static analysis and nonlinear dynamic analysis. Results indicate that structural lateral stiffness and maximum roof displacement can be improved using brace. Meanwhile seismic damage can also be decreased. Moreover, frame-brace structure using topology optimization is most favorable to enhance lateral stiffness and mitigate seismic damage. Thus, topology optimization is an available way to form initial conceptual configuration in high-rise steel frame-brace structure.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.35-47
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• 2023

Deformability of road pavements in the form of ruts represent a safety risk for road users. In the procedures for dimensioning the pavement structure, the requirement that such deformations do not occur is imperatively included, which results in the appropriate selection of elements (material, geometry) of the pavement structure. Deformability and functionality, will depend of the correct design of pavement structure during exploitation period. Nevertheless, there are many examples where deformations are observed on the pavement structure, in the form of rutting at parts of the road with relatively short length, realised in the same climatic and the same geoenvironmental conditions. The performed analysis of deformability led to the conclusion that the level of deformation is a function of the speed of traffic. This effect is observed on city roads, but also outside of urban areas at roads with speed limits are significant, due to the traffic management, traffic jams (intersections, etc.). Still, the lower speed cause greater deformations. The authors tried to describe the deformability of flexible pavement structures, from the aspects of geotechnical problems, as a function of driving speed. Outcome of the analysis is a traffic load correction coefficient, in terms of using the existing methods of flexible pavement structures design.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.4
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• pp.503-515
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• 2022

Based on the sliding isolation concrete LSS (liquid-storage structure), the specific seismic vulnerability is analyzed according to the general failure mode. In this study, 12 seismic inputs with different characteristics are used, and their acceleration peak values are modulated. By inputting these waves to the sliding isolation concrete storage structure, the finite-element models of different concrete rectangular LSSs are obtained and analyzed, and the failure probabilities are obtained according to the IDA (incremental dynamic analysis) curves of the structure. The results show that when the seismic acceleration peak value gradually increases from 0.1 g to 1.0 g, the failure probability of LSS gradually increases with the increase in friction coefficient. However, the failure probability of a sliding isolation LSS is less than 100% and far less than the failure probability of a non-isolated rectangular LSS, which shows that an isolated liquid storage structure continues working under a big earthquake. Thus, the sliding isolation for the concrete LSS has a significant damping effect.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.235-250
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• 2005

The paper describes the work of the Working Group on Wind Structure, one of the International Codification Working Groups set up by the International Association of Wind Engineering in 1999. The topics of terrain and exposure, shielding and shelter, topographic effects, tropical cyclone and hurricane wind structure, and thunderstorm wind structure, are described with emphasis on their codification in wind loading codes and standards. Recommendations from the working group are given.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.33-51
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• 2008

This paper investigates the modelling of coupled soil-structure interaction problems by domain decomposition techniques. It is assumed that the soil-structure system is physically partitioned into soil and structure subdomains, which are independently modelled. Coupling of the separately modelled partitioned subdomains is undertaken with various algorithms based on the sequential iterative Dirichlet-Neumann sub-structuring method, which ensures compatibility and equilibrium at the interface boundaries of the subdomains. A number of mathematical and computational characteristics of the coupling algorithms, including the convergence conditions and choice of algorithmic parameters leading to enhanced convergence of the iterative method, are discussed. Based on the presented coupling algorithms a simulation environment, utilizing discipline-oriented solvers for nonlinear structural and geotechnical analysis, is developed which is used here to demonstrate the performance characteristics and benefits of various algorithms. Finally, the developed tool is used in a case study involving nonlinear soil-structure interaction analysis between a plane frame and soil subjected to ground excavation. This study highlights the relative performance of the various considered coupling algorithms in modelling real soil-structure interaction problems, in which nonlinearity arises in both the structure and the soil, and leads to important conclusions regarding their adequacy for such problems as well as the prospects for further enhancements.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.68 no.2
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• pp.159-170
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• 2018

This paper aims to develop response modification factors for stiffness degrading structures by incorporating soil-structure interaction effects. A comprehensive parametric study is conducted to investigate the effects of key SSI parameters, natural period of vibration, ductility demand and hysteretic behavior on the response modification factor of soil-structure systems. The nonlinear dynamic response of 6300 soil-structure systems are studied under two ensembles of accelograms including 20 recorded and 7 synthetic ground motions. It is concluded that neglecting the stiffness degradation of structures can results in up to 22% underestimation of inelastic strength demands in soil-structure systems, leading to an unexpected high level of ductility demand in the structures located on soft soil. Nonlinear regression analyses are then performed to derive a simplified expression for estimating ductility-dependent response modification factors for stiffness degrading soil-structure systems. The adequacy of the proposed expression is investigated through sensitivity analyses on nonlinear soil-structure systems under seven synthetic spectrum compatible earthquake ground motions. A good agreement is observed between the results of the predicted and the target ductility demands, demonstrating the adequacy of the expression proposed in this study to estimate the inelastic demands of SSI systems with stiffness degrading structures. It is observed that the maximum differences between the target and average target ductility demands was 15%, which is considered acceptable for practical design purposes.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.307-323
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• 2016

The nonlinear behaviors of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) frame structure are investigated by numerical simulation method with 3-D finite fiber elements. The dynamic characteristics and the seismic performance of the RAC frame structure are analyzed and validated with the shaking table test results. Specifically, the natural frequency and the typical responses (e.g., storey deformation, capacity curve, etc.) from Model 1 (exclusion of strain rate effect) and Model 2 (inclusion of strain rate effect) are analyzed and compared. It is revealed that Model 2 is more likely to provide a better match between the numerical simulation and the shaking table test as key attributes of seismic behaviors of the frame structure are captured by this model. For the purpose to examine how seismic behaviors of the RAC frame structure vary under different strain rates in a real seismic situation, a numerical simulation is performed by varying the strain rate. The storey displacement response and the base shear for the RAC frame structure under different strain rates are investigated and analyzed. It is implied that the structural behavior of the RAC frame structure is significantly influenced by the strain rate effect. On one hand, the storey displacements vary slightly in the trend of decreasing with the increasing strain rate. On the other hand, the base shear of the RAC frame structure under dynamic loading conditions increases with gradually increasing amplitude of the strain rate.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.649-664
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• 2023

Structural inertial interaction is a representative the effect of dynamic soil-foundation-structure interaction (SFSI), which leads to a relative displacement between soil and foundation, period lengthening, and damping increasing phenomena. However, for a system with a significantly heavy foundation, the dynamic inertia of the foundation influences and interacts with the structural seismic response. The structure-to-foundation mass ratio (MR) quantifies the distribution of mass between the structure and foundation for a structure on a shallow foundation. Although both systems exhibit the same vertical factor of safety (FS_v), the MR and corresponding seismic responses attributed to the structure and foundation masses may differ. This study explored the influence of MR on the permanent deformation and seismic response of soil-foundation-structure system considering SFSI via numerical simulations. Given that numerous dimensionless parameters of SFSI described its influence on the structural seismic response, the parameters, except for MR and FS_v, were fixed for the sensitivity analysis. The results demonstrated that the foundation inertia of heavier foundations induced more settlement due to sliding behavior of heavily-loaded systems. Moreover, the structural inertia of heavier structures evidently exhibited foundation rocking behavior, which results in a more elongated natural period of the structure for lightly-loaded systems.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.231-242
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• 2018

Subway tunnel structure has been rapidly developed in many cities for its strong transport capacity. The model-based damage detection of subway tunnel structure is usually difficult due to the complex modeling of soil-structure interaction, the indetermination of boundary and so on. This paper proposes a new data-based method for the damage detection of subway tunnel structure. The root mean square acceleration and cross correlation function are used to derive a statistical pattern recognition algorithm for damage detection. A damage sensitive feature is proposed based on the root mean square deviations of the cross correlation functions. X-bar control charts are utilized to monitor the variation of the damage sensitive features before and after damage. The proposed algorithm is validated by the experiment of a full-scale two-rings subway tunnel lining, and damages are simulated by loosening the connection bolts of the rings. The results verify that root mean square deviation is sensitive to bolt loosening in the tunnel lining and X-bar control charts are feasible to be used in damage detection. The proposed data-based damage detection method is applicable to the online structural health monitoring system of subway tunnel lining.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2005.09b
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• pp.887-888
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• 2005